She's Saving Me
by GumbyandPokey
Summary: WARNING:  Pale Demon spoilers involved.  Rachel works to save all that is important her but having to backtrack to do it isn't proving easy.  Rachel/Ivy pairing eventually.    Thanks to my proofreader that makes it all possible...it is much appreciated!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I struggled to open my eyes, distinctly aware of the cold pavement cooling my cheek. I finally focused on a designer pair of shoes, the same pair that had landed the last blow to my stomach causing me to taste blood. The trees rustled with the wind and having only heard that sound and nothing else, I knew I was in a deserted part of the park near the church. I had to admit that the rain which was just beginning to fall felt good, the small drizzle made it easier for me to stay awake despite my head screaming and my eyes feeling heavy.

When I had accepted the last minute run, it seemed rather ordinary, boring actually. But I was happy to earn a small amount of cash that day rather than wasting the day sulking in the church. Since returning from my road trip to San Francisco, I had spent countless hours alone in the attic searching every book I had about magic. I even had some copies of Al's old demon books that he gave me during one of my last trips to the ever-after. They had been a loan for homework that I simply didn't do. I snickered like a child when a memory of Al admonishing me for not doing my homework flashed in my mind. It had been weeks since I was freed from going to my weekly lesson in the ever-after, a place that if I never visited again it would be too soon.

After what had happened in San Francisco, and the ever-after, I needed answers. Now more than ever I had to focus and learn everything I could about being a female demon. Newt coaxed me, she taught me and provided just the right amount of guidance and confidence I needed to make my collective and prove I was a demon. I shook my head thinking of how wrong it seemed that proving I was a demon was a good thing, it had actually saved my life, and the irony of the situation wasn't lost on me.

"I can go with you, Rache," Jenks had offered as he looked around the garden feeling torn between repairing the damage that was caused when the garden was attacked or baby-sit me. I tucked my splat gun into the back of my jeans and checked the camera to make sure the batteries were fresh.

"What? I need a babysitter now?" I offered a warm smile, knowing he needed more assurance. "Seriously, Jenks, I'm fine. It's a normal 'my wife is cheating on me and I want to bust her' case." I punctuated my sarcastic voice by rolling my eyes and using my fingers in air quotes. "I'll be fine."

"I don't know." Jenks seemed worried as pink pixy dust drifted from his wings. "You haven't been out of the hospital for that long…"

"Besides," I smiled knowing he would think my next comment was funny, "I have bitch of a landlord that demands rent on the first of the month, nothing less, so do me a favor and let me take this run without having to split the till with you, pixy. I can't afford the lavish place I live!"

"Tink's dildo you're a pain in my ass, Rache." Jenks flitted close to my face, almost making me sneeze when more pixy dust burst from his wings. "So help me god if I have to save your ass one more time witch…"

"I got it." I slipped the small camera into my back pocket flashing Jenks a smile. "You're going soft, Jenks, you didn't give Ivy this much shit before her run this morning!"

"Her run?" Jenks snorted causing me to frown in confusion. "If you call playing tonsil hockey with Skimmer a run…."

"Ugh!" I made a gagging sound as I marched to the front door. I chose not to think of Ivy with Skimmer, in fact I chose to block any thought of Skimmer from my mind completely. Honestly, I had no idea what Ivy saw in that woman and I ignored the small voice in my mind that reminded me exactly what Ivy saw in Skimmer aside from her beauty and grace, a blood balance. "Bitch," I had mumbled thankful that Jenks wasn't within earshot of my tantrum.

Despite my current shock that this wasn't a typical run, I still had to find a way to get out of the current predicament I was in. My mind focused back to the present as the pack of Weres closed in on me. I needed to dig deep for my strength and when I summoned all that I had, a razor sharp image of Ivy came to my mind. I quickly looked for a line to tap, anything to be able to fight back, it was second nature for me to search for a line and hold it. I was now keenly aware of the silver bracelet on my wrist. The same band of silver that gave me back my life would end up being the death of me. There was no magic to be called, I simply had to rely on my strength and grit, neither of which would be a match for an angry pack of Weres. Even my splat gun was out of reach; the odds were stacking up against me.

"What the hell do you want with me anyway?" I demanded, sounding more aggressive and cocky than I should have given my cheek was pressed against the wet pavement. "You are aware I'm an Alpha aren't you? There are rules…" I was reaching; rules weren't going to apply this time.

"There is someone very interested in you," the Alpha growled at me and despite my efforts to avoid his shoe it came in direct contact with my abdomen again. I hated that I tasted blood; it meant I bit down too hard on my lip when the searing pain shot through my body.

"I thought we were supposed to be careful?" a younger Were chuckled. "She's not so tough. This was easier than we thought!"

"Go tell whomever is interested in me to fuck off," I spat back, trying to sound tough despite the situation I was in. "I'm not interested!"

I wanted to hit him with all my anger and power, but the only power that was displayed was a powerful kick once more to my midsection. The unique metallic taste filled my mouth again and I felt like retching right on the spot. I forced my palm into the ground, attempting to leverage my body, which clearly wasn't going to happen without an overwhelming amount of pain. I closed my eyes, knowing this was going horribly wrong, and used the rest of my strength to focus on my memories. Images of Jenks flew through my head and made me smile. I ignored his last warning and despite me having to admit it even to myself, Jenks was right. Maybe I did need a babysitter. An image of Trent with my goddaughter filled my mind. He surprised me every single time I saw them together, how he always nuzzled her close telling her stories. Ceri was such an amazing mother; her life had changed so much since I had been able to rescue her from being Al's familiar. Then there was Ivy; my memory of Ivy dressed in skintight leather, boots that accented her legs confirming all my suspicions that they went on forever. There was so much I should have said to her, I should have gotten over my hang-ups about us and allowed her in more. I should have been honest with her, as I was to myself recently, I simply could get lost in her. The kiss that we shared in San Francisco haunted my dreams. It was even worse when I was awake, because I could focus on every movement she made, the way her lips formed a hesitant smile around me. She had meant it as a goodbye kiss, but it was almost a welcoming kiss for me, an introduction to what I could have had if I would have pulled my head out of my ass. Even as I thought about the kiss, I cursed my body for responding, my scar beginning to throb. I was suddenly overwhelmed with Ivy's scent, the unique blend of incense and citrus.

When my scar lit up like the fourth of July, I forced my eyes open mostly in shock. That's when the scene began to play out in front of me. The designer pair of shoes that had once taken pleasure in connecting with my body now quickly backed up. I felt a breeze pass over me and suddenly, directly in front of my eyes so I could focus on nothing else was a spiked 4-inch heel on a designer leather boot that would have cost me two months worth of my salary from the I.S.

"Hold on a second." The Were put his hands up in surrender as he continued to back up. I tilted my head allowing my eyes to travel up the shapely curve of the woman in front of me. The muscular, yet feminine, shape of the woman's legs flamed my scar and I recognized Ivy's custom leather pants immediately. Her foot moved and she easily swept the feet out from under one Were with alarming speed.

"Bitch!"

The insult fueled Ivy's anger and she immediately reached out, grabbing another Were and spinning him around, throwing him against the nearest tree to put him out of commission.

"Now who's going to get their ass kicked?" I mocked silently in my head as I struggled to keep my eyes open. "Not such a big man anymore, you dog!"

By my calculation there were three more circling, trying to get a shot at Ivy and then me. Ivy moved with grace, finesse, almost as if walking on air as she delivered a swift kick to the head of a one while grasping the throat of another, cutting off his air supply. Once the Were who had suffered from her foot fell, she turned and faced the one she had by the neck. She smiled showing her fangs; something that at one time would have startled me, but now I took comfort in. Ivy had once again managed to protect me.

"You don't obviously fight fair."

"I take orders like everyone else," the Alpha growled quickly with his hands up in surrender, "you should know that all too well." I watched as Ivy easily held him up so his feet were no longer on the ground.

"Who are you taking orders from?" Ivy demanded. She threw him on the ground and circled him with a look in her eyes that I had never seen before. It was more than her vampire instincts kicking into high gear, she was genuinely afraid. I was in too much pain to understand her fear, she was winning the fight hands down. She effectively kicked their asses and took their names so to speak!

"Why did you attack her?"

"Orders."

"Not good enough," Ivy seethed as she quickly closed the distance between her and the Were, "I want a name."

I couldn't comprehend the conversation; I gave up trying as I focused on Ivy's fighting stance. She quickly approached and grabbed the Were by the throat once more, leaning in to deliver a rather important message.

"You tell whomever it is that sent you here, that you've been kept alive only to deliver this message." Ivy's voice was barely a whisper and I gave up trying to understand her words. "If they send someone else, they will be signing not just that person's death warrant, but their own."

When Ivy released the Were, I marveled at how quickly he turned to run. My vampire had saved me once more, although I sadly admitted that she really wasn't my vampire. Not in the sense that she wanted, only in the sense that I could offer. I suddenly felt cold and alone. Ivy's beautiful face came into focus as she leaned down to talk to me. Her eyes were as dark as sin, completely engulfed in blackness as her hands trembled touching me.

"Stay with me, witch," Ivy pleaded in a soft, caring voice. It was soothing, almost willing me to close my eyes and become lost in the sound. Ivy's hands turned me over and I cried out in agonizing pain.

"I have to move you, Rachel." Ivy's voice washed over me to soothe my pain. "You need help."

"No hospital," I murmured my demand as if I was in a position of power. "Please, Ivy."

"You need help," Ivy continued as she scooted her hands beneath me to lift me with ease. I bit my lip, refusing to cry out in pain, it would have added credence to her argument.

"I can't go back there," I begged, just the thought of being vulnerable in a hospital once more was too frightening.

I let my head drop to her shoulder, just thankful that she had come to my rescue. The wave of nausea passed quickly and I was certain it was a combination of pain and Ivy's quick movements that caused it. She headed toward the church and I closed my eyes to fight back my tears. The last thing I heard was the silkiness of Ivy's voice as she spoke to me softly.

"My little witch," Ivy smiled trying to ease the tension in Rachel's demeanor, "you couldn't think of plan B, could you?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Tink's diaphragm!" Jenks buzzed around Ivy's head as she entered the church. "Do you care to tell me what in Hades happened!"

Jenks stopped ahead of Ivy as he watched her close her eyes, struggling with the scent of my blood. I opened my mouth to try to ease Jenks' mind, but forming words was just too much effort. It seemed like even my hair hurt.

"I don't know," Ivy said through clenched teeth. "I called Keasley. Send him this way when he gets here."

Ivy's foot kicked my bedroom door open and she gently laid me down on the unmade bed. She scarcely noticed the random clothes thrown on the floor, but the utter chaos in my room seemed an offshoot of my personality.

"Stay with me, Rache," I heard Ivy plead as I felt her pushing my hair off my face. Ivy noticed the bruise on the side of my cheek that was already forming.

"What happened?" Keasley limped into my room with a worried look etched on his face. "Who did this to her?" Ivy backed into the corner and waited for her vampire instincts to ease, the desire to protect me keeping her taut. Keasley spoke up again despite not getting an answer to his original question. "I called Ceri, she might be able to help."

"Whoever did this," Jenks began, buzzing around and leaving a trail of red pixy dust in his wake, "they are going to answer to us aren't they, Ivy?" He was in fighting stance, ready and willing to draw his sword and fight for his family at a moment's notice.

Kealsey turned my head to look at the bruise and winced when I cried out in pain.

Everyone's attention focused on the doorway as Ceri hurried in to help. She sat down next to Keasley on the bed, blocking Ivy's view of me. She and Keasley began a hushed debate back and forth regarding my injuries; they worked together as if they were a well-oiled machine. I tilted my head to the side, trying to catch Ivy's eye, but a sharp jab of pain made my head swim.

"I knew this was going to happen," Ceri said muttering to herself.

"What are you talking about!" Jenks demanded. "If you knew this was going to happen then you know who did it and why."

"I don't mean that," Ceri tried to clarify. "I simply meant that wearing this ridiculous bracelet Trenton gave her makes her vulnerable."

"It keeps her alive!" Jenks shouted.

"No! Her magic does! She has to accept it," Ceri said firmly, looking at Jenks as he floated in the air in his best Peter Pan pose. "You _all_ have to accept what she is. Her powers are beyond reason; she's something the magical world has never seen before, Jenks. To deny who she is, that's what's causing these issues."

"It's her choice," Ivy said quietly as she focused on Keasley's examination. "She deserves a choice."

"She can't defend herself denying who she is," Ceri replied. I listened to the debate raging around me, struggling to keep my eyes open.

"And she's not being dragged into the ever-after every damn Saturday either," Jenks countered. "She's at home, with her family, she's doing fine. She deserves a life of peace, Ceri!"

"She's not doing fine," Ivy said sadly. "She pretends to be happy, but neutering someone, having them deny their instincts, that doesn't make them fine, Jenks."

Ivy slid out of the room, closing her eyes to the assault of pixy dust that rained down on her from Jenks and his children, all of whom were hovering just outside my door. Keasley and Ceri worked in relative silence, allowing Ivy and Jenks' voices to carry into the room.

"And where are you going?" I heard Jenks demand. "You can't just leave her!"

"I'm not." Ivy sounded as though she was near the front of the church. A moment of panic flashed through me at the thought that she might be leaving. "I'm getting David's number." The panic passed and was quickly replaced by a bone deep tiredness. I was sure that if I closed my eyes for just one minute the tiredness would pass.

"Stay with me, Rachel. Look at me." Keasley's deep rumble forced me to open my eyes again. "You can't sleep just yet. We need to check out that hard head of yours."

I tried to scoff in protest, but it came out as more of a cross between a grunt and a cough. Whatever it was, it hurt like hell and I decided to postpone being a smartass until it hurt less. Ivy's voice caught my attention again.

"In the park, it was a pack of Weres that attacked her. I don't think it was random, Jenks. If something is going on, whatever they wanted from Rachel, he might be able to find out more through his channels than we could using ours."

Moments later Jenks reappeared in my doorway and I could just make out bits and pieces of Ivy's phone conversation with David. I caught Jenks' smirk when he heard Ivy insist that my pack didn't need to come over and watch over their Alpha. Ivy made it crystal clear that she would be taking that post for the time being. After ending the conversation, I could just make out her steps coming back down the hallway.

"It was just a run," Jenks insisted as he flew back toward Ivy. "She said it was nothing, that it would be simple."

"Who called her?" Both Ivy and Jenks stopped in the doorway to my room.

"I don't know that," Jenks said, coming to rest on Ivy's shoulder. "Tink's titties, Ivy, if I would have thought there'd be trouble I wouldn't have let her go." When Ivy shot him a look reminding Jenks that I wasn't easily persuaded, he smiled and corrected his statement. "I would have had her back instead of working in the garden."

"I would recommend a hospital," Keasley broke in, making eye contact with Ivy as his hands located a large bump on the back of my head. The tiredness I had been fighting combined with a new level of pain as Keasley examined the bump and the darkness threatened to close in on me.

"No hospital," Ivy replied.

"She's not shunned anymore," Jenks argued. "She looks bad, Ivy."

"She doesn't want to go." Ivy focused on Jenks as he flew to be eye level with her. "She made me promise."

"It's the damn hospital," Jenks argued. "It's where sick and hurt people go!"

"And people that grew up there fighting for their life as a child," Ivy fought back in a tone that was just above a growl. "Where people go when their aura has been ripped from them and they are bleeding through their damn pores!" Ivy walked into my room, her instincts drawing her. "I promised her she wouldn't have to go back there, she won't heal in a constant state of fear."

"She has a few broken ribs," Keasley said ignoring the argument between Ivy and Jenks. "She'll need ice on the cheek and her scrapes will heal. They would wrap her ribs at the hospital, so we can do that."

"I'll get the ice," Ivy offered, stepping from the room.

A groan escaped me as Keasley began cleaning some of the deeper scrapes and Ivy reappeared in the doorway, lip raised to reveal her fangs as she growled low. The whole room froze, eyes on Ivy as she panted, struggling to push her instincts down.

"I'll evoke a pain amulet," Ceri said carefully, pulling a sizable amulet from her bag.

"That's one hell of an amulet," Jenks muttered as he landed near my head.

"She's in a lot of pain," Ceri countered. Ceri completed the process quickly and placed the amulet gently against my chest. As the pain eased to a bearable level, my eyes became too heavy to fight.

The voices buzzed around the edges of consciousness and I fought between the urge to listen and the urge to drift back to sleep.

"How often?" Ivy asked, the edge to her voice telling me how tense she was even without opening my eyes.

"Every hour," Keasley said, smiling down at me, knowing how irritated I was going to be. "You need to make sure she doesn't have a concussion. I don't think so, her eye movement was fine, but regardless she needs to be woken up every hour on the hour for the first twenty-four hours. You can do it here, or you can take her to the hospital."

"I can wake her up," Ivy said. "What about the bandages?"

"Change them every few hours," Keasley said, handing Ivy his supplies before he stepped into the hallway. "I'll check on her later tonight."

Ivy smiled politely as Ceri brushed past her, following Keasley out the door. Jenks rested on Ivy's shoulder placing his hands on his hips.

"A simple run," Ivy muttered as she sat down in the chair near my bed. "What are we going to do, Jenks?"

"Nothing," Jenks insisted quickly. "It's her decision and maybe I'm a selfish prick but I love Rache and finally feel like she's safe! I lost Mattie, Ivy, the love of my life, and I'm not going to lose Rache because she's some special creation of Trent's daddy!"

"Ceri's right." Ivy hated to admit it. "She can't defend herself in even the simplest of situations with this damn bracelet on."

"It's her choice, Ivy," Jenks cautioned her. "She was finally at peace. She can use earth magic, why didn't she do that?"

"Because it isn't who she is anymore, Jenks. She can't go back, she can't use simple ways to fight when she isn't used to them. She's used to relying on the lines, to being able to spindle so much energy in her it scares the shit of out of me. I told her in San Francisco."

Ivy's head bowed down to shelter her face.

"Told her what?"

"I told her that she was leading the change and leaving us behind." Ivy swallowed hard as a lump in her throat formed.

"Why did you tell her that?"

"Because she was, Jenks," Ivy said sadly. "The only reason I think she has this bracelet on is because of us, her family. In being who she is, she'll lose us one day, and she isn't ready for that."

"Well neither are we," Jenks said, landing on my pillow. He leaned in to place a kiss on my forehead as I drifted off again.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The mere thought of opening my eyes was almost too much to manage. I could feel the large amulet on my chest and, keenly aware of the size of it, I knew I would be in an immense amount of pain if not for it.

I struggled to remember where I had been, the only thought coming to my mind was the unique scent of Ivy. It had appeared suddenly, but my memories beyond her scent were a blur. I gave up trying to remember anything but her scent. I smiled feeling rather confident in my abilities since here it was again, overwhelming my sense of smell, as if she were right next to me.

"Rachel?" Ivy's voice was pure silk, caressing my mind with just the mere mention of my name.

_God I really am good,_ I thought.

I felt a strong yet soft touch as my body began to waken. My head hurt and opening my eyes was almost more than I could manage.

"Rachel?"

"Yes." My throat was dry and I detested being woken up. "I'm fucking here."

"Glad to know you're still the same ray of sunshine," Ivy muttered as she continued to gently shake me. "You have to wake up so I can check your pupils."

"My what?" Even I could hear the annoyance in my voice. I was disappointed that I wasn't as good as I thought; Ivy was in my room and not just my imagination. I opened my eyes to see her standing over me, her eyes filled with concern. "What in the Turn are you talking about?"

"You hit your head." Ivy looked intently from one of my eyes to the other, suddenly making me feel very naked.

"Hit my head doing what?"

"You don't remember?"

"I remember going on a run." I struggled to piece my memory back together. The scene played out in my mind as if it was a movie, and the memory caused me to shiver. I moved, knocking the pain amulet off my chest. As I suddenly writhed in pain, Ivy's instincts immediately kicked into overdrive when I cried out. Her hands frantically searched my bed for the amulet, and every place she touched me, it hurt like hell.

"Hang in there, I think I have it."

"Oh God, Ivy," I cried as I heard the faint flutter of pixy wings. "It hurts, help me, Ivy!"

She grasped the pain amulet and placed it back on my chest, holding her hand just above my breast to ensure it was in place. My breathing slowed, my jaw unclenched, and my headache turned from a mind numbing pain to a slight hum of discomfort. When breathing was bearable again, I slowly opened my eyes.

"How bad am I?" I searched Ivy's eyes for the truth, knowing she couldn't hide it from me.

"Besides a concussion," she said softly, beginning to rattle off various injuries as my mind worked to wrap itself around what had happened, "you also have a few broken ribs, a variety of scrapes and scratches, and one hell of a bruise on your cheek."

"The Weres," I mumbled as it all came rushing back to me. "My run was to tag a Were that had been cheating on his wife. Simple, I've done it thousands of times."

"It doesn't look like it was simple, Rache," Jenks said. "Tink's pink dildo I thought you might not ever wake up."

"What?" I tried to hide my feelings behind a large wall of sarcasm, "after fighting demons and being thrown into a line to burn from the inside out, you think Weres would best me?" I tried hard to swallow the lump in my throat and ignore the uneasiness of my stomach. _If it weren't for Ivy they would have, _I thought.

"I have to change some of the bandages, Rachel." Ivy ignored my sarcasm, her vampire instincts to protect and nurture taking over. "This might hurt."

"I'm a big, bad witch," I shuddered when her fingertips gently touched my skin for the first time. It wasn't often that Ivy and I were so close, typically I did something to trip her instincts and she left annoyed. More often than not, she beat down her instincts to accommodate me, but at this moment her acting on her instincts made me feel loved. "Give me your best shot."

I silently began to panic when Jenks left the room to allow me my privacy. For some reason, my mind never connected that changing bandages meant practically stripping me naked. I would have protested, and almost did, as Ivy's fingertips gently brushed my skin just under my bra but I knew that I was in no shape to do it myself. I reminded myself that in the past, I would have made some excuse to not have her touch me. I would have panicked, even blamed the pleasure I was now experiencing on Ivy releasing pheromones, but I knew after San Francisco, after the kiss, I couldn't keep denying how I felt, even to myself.

Ivy took a deep breath as she raised my tank top further, trying to hide her reaction to the various bruises and scrapes that were all over my body. I remained silent as she propped me up, trying to smile through my clenched teeth to show her I was fine.

"I'm sorry," she said in a whisper, "I know this must hurt."

Her fingers gently brushed my skin as she removed the wrappings around my ribs. Every inch of me was on fire, desperately craving relief and rest. I was now officially wiped out, there was no hope of me getting out of this bed anytime soon. She threw the wrapping to the side, getting a new one that wasn't soaked in sweat. She tried to spare me pain, but there was little she could do even with an amulet.

"I'm sorry," Ivy whispered again.

"You've mentioned that." I closed my eyes as I sucked in a breath, causing my ribs to expand and send me into a coughing spree that hurt more than words could say. "It's not your fault."

"Why did they attack you?"

"I have no idea." I gritted my teeth against the pain. "They weren't into a lot of small talk."

"Did they say anything?"

"Just that someone was interested in me." I sighed in relief as she pinned the wrap in place and placed another bandage over one of my scrapes that had bled through. "I thought those days were over." I waited a few moments while she arranged the blankets around me and snuggled them tight to keep me warm. "How long have you been here?"

"I've been waking you up every hour on the hour for the last twenty-four, but this is obviously the most dialog we've had since I brought you home."

"How did you know I was hurt?"

"I don't know," Ivy whispered as she bent down and kissed my forehead. "But I do know that I'm going to keep you safe, Rachel." It was the last thing I heard before I allowed sleep to overcome me. I was obviously not strong enough to move, since a simple conversation wore me out. But I knew I was safe, in the church with my family, holding onto what I wanted so desperately.

A commotion at the front of the church pulled me from the depths of sleep. I heard the door to the church closing, and a voice calling out for an answer. Opening my eyes seemed like too much trouble, but Ivy must have caught the change in my breathing. I heard her curse under her breath before hurrying from the room. Moving was out of the question, but the otherwise silent church allowed the voices to carry down the hall.

"Hey." Skimmer's voice reached me and my eyes popped open. "You didn't show up today at the café like normal so I got worried." When the hell had Ivy gotten friendly with Skimmer again? For that matter, what was Skimmer doing out of prison?

"Oh God, Skimmer," I heard Ivy sigh. "I totally forgot everything since Rachel got hurt."

"What happened to her?"

"I wish I knew," Ivy replied. "A run gone bad."

"How bad?"

"She needs some rest." Their voices got quieter and the clink of a coffee cup on the counter told me that Ivy had lead Skimmer back toward the kitchen. "A pack of Weres took her on."

"For what?" Skimmer asked. Ivy's reply was too quiet to make out, but the scuff of chairs on the floor told me that Skimmer had moved. And her next answer let me guess why.

"Please don't cry, Ivy. A pack of Weres attacking Rachel is not your fault."

"She can't defend herself, Skimmer," Ivy shot back, her tone rising. "She's turned her back on everything that is Rachel, her entire life has changed!"

"But maybe it's for the best. Sometimes things aren't so pretty. Magic isn't so pretty, Ivy. It's her magic that truly shows what she is, and there's a reason why demons don't walk this side of the lines without someone summoning them."

"And why is that?" Ivy's tone changed again, telling me that Skimmer was verging on pissed-off-Ivy.

"Because they're dangerous, and they can't exist among others." Skimmer replied. "There comes a time when it's them or everyone else, Ivy, and Rachel knows that too."


	4. Chapter 4

NOTE: Thanks so much for the reviews! They really do keep me inspired to continue this tale. Thanks to my proofreader, it wouldn't happen without her!

Chapter 4

It was still dark out when my eyes opened. I had never been more thankful than when Ivy stopped waking me up every hour and let me rest. My head felt better, my body ached, but I felt rested. I slowly removed the pain amulet from my chest, sucking in air as I tried to bear the pain.

"You can do this, Rachel," I muttered to myself as I struggled to sit up. I hadn't looked in a mirror in forever. I hated to think about what I must look like. I slowly let my head fall to one side, then the other. Stretching my neck muscles felt deliriously good, yet painful at the same time. I looked around and realized I was finally alone, an attempt to clean myself up was in order.

I slowly swung my legs around, allowing my feet to hit the floor. I smiled briefly realizing that my feet were likely the only thing that didn't hurt on my body. I ignored the headache that began to worsen, and knew that the worst part of my injuries would be a tie between my ribs and my ego.

I lifted my arm to rub my head, my eyes catching sight of the silver bracelet that hung on my wrist. I kept telling myself I could live with it, it simply meant going back in time to before I realized just how powerful I could be. I had learned a great deal of black magic, my aura covered in smut to prove it, and my greatest fear was losing myself to it. Ivy's words echoed in my head daily, that I was leaving her and Jenks behind, the two people that I loved the most. The bracelet may have stunted my progression, but it allowed things to go back to normal around here, whatever that meant.

"You're not leaving me, I'm leaving you." Ivy's words ran though my head once more and before I could stop my reaction I quickly muttered, "No you're not" as if she was standing there having the conversation with me all over again.

I stood, shaky on my feet, but gaining my bearings as I placed my hand on the wall to help me walk toward the bathroom. I took small, baby steps and grew more confident with each movement I made. I finally stood at the threshold of my bathroom, almost afraid to turn the light on. But, better late than never, I flicked it on and let my eyes adjust to the blinding light.

"Ugh that's bright." I squinted as I shuffled myself onto the cold tile. I approached the sink, running warm water as I dared to look in the mirror. "Turn it!" I allowed my fingers to brush the large bruise that decorated my cheek, the hint of swelling still present. "You had to kick me in the face didn't you?" I removed my tank top and noticed the bruises all along my midsection. I had expected to see those, knowing my ribs were broken. I began to resent the hint of silver that dangled on my wrist. "If you weren't there I would have handled them myself."

My ego was just as bruised as my body and I struggled out of my underwear thankful for the convenience of the toilet nearby. I sat down, catching my breath before turning the shower on hot.

I stepped into the hot water, instantly feeling better. My tight muscles began to give way to the pounding of the water from the massage showerhead I had installed last summer. I allowed my head to fall forward, to give the water access to the back of my neck where my muscles seemed tightest.

"This feels so good," I moaned as I washed away some remnants of the dried blood that had been on my skin. At least I could feel civilized after the shower. I couldn't fix my ribs or my bruised cheek, but my hair would be combed and I'd smell like myself once more. I scrubbed my skin as best I could.

My hair was a different story. Almost unable to lift my arms, it called for some interesting accommodations to be made to wash my hair. One side was better than the other and so, utilizing one good arm, I clenched my teeth as I extended it to wash my hair the best I could.

_This is harder than I thought._ I closed my eyes letting the soap rinse out. "Oh to only be able to do a spell…." I cut that thinking off right then, to do a spell would mean to lose the bracelet, the only thing keeping me in my home with my family and not being dragged all around as the only living demon that could walk in the sun this side of the lines. I was Rachel Morgan, the most powerful demon yet, with no fear other than the obvious….. losing myself and my family to the changes that would occur if some people, or demons, knew I was alive.

I shut the water off, stepping out of the shower and thankful once more for the close proximity of everything in the small bathroom. If this were Ivy's bathroom, the walk from one side to the other just to get a towel would have worn me out.

I toweled off, grabbing a comb and running it through my tangled hair. It was still wet, but fell almost exactly in place, as it would be if I dried it, so I smiled at what I considered a success. I walked out of the bathroom, slightly quicker than I had gotten there, and pulled out my favorite pair of Levis, complete with a hole in the back pocket and knee. They felt amazing on my skin, tight enough to accent my curves, but loose enough to be comfortable. I had lost weight, the waistband luckily stopping as it fell to my hips. I wondered how long I had been sleeping.

To complete my look I grabbed the first shirt that I could lay my hands on, which happened to be my Takata security shirt, which seemed odd now that I knew I would be nobody's first choice for security. If I couldn't take care of myself, I couldn't take care of someone else for sure. Instead of being an asset, I was now a liability; something that just bruised my ego worse than anything the Weres had done to my body. I left my feet bare as I worked my way to the bedroom door, opening it slowly, and being greeted by the smell of freshly brewed coffee.

"That smells good," I mumbled as I closed my eyes and made my way down the hallway. I could tell when I got to the end that Ivy had become aware of my scent, turning in shock to see me standing there.

"Rachel." I watched as Ivy quickly crossed the room with her damn vampire speed and it took everything I had not to fall down when she suddenly appeared in front of me, hands on my hips to support me. "What are you doing up?"

"Too much," I sputtered as Ivy's closeness overwhelmed me. What in the Turn is going on? I had to place my hand on the wall as the slight hum in my head became overwhelming and felt like it was spreading all over my body.

"What?"

"It's too much." I placed a hand on her shoulder to lessen the pain of my confession, but she flinched all the same. To Ivy's credit, she stood perfectly still so I could gather my bearings before she backed up. "I'm sorry, I don't know what happened. It was all just too much for a moment, I've never felt anything like that before."

"Are you ok?" Ivy's presence was now soothing, her concern evident as her eyes roamed my body. "How did you…"

"I needed a shower badly," I smiled as I worked my way past her and into the kitchen to sit.

"Your ribs aren't wrapped." Ivy's statement just confirmed what I had already known, even behind my back she was assessing my body and the difficulty I had walking to the table. "They need to remain wrapped, Rachel."

I eased into a chair, watching Ivy's movements from the corner of my eye. Ivy allowed her eyes to travel the length of my body. At first, it was to simply assure that I in fact should be up and walking. Her eyes roamed to each place where she knew I had sustained an injury. I noticed Ivy's eyes wander past my injuries, hesitating on my hips as my jeans seemed to suddenly fascinate her. I turned to look at her straight on and noticed the black of her eyes growing. A quick intake of breath from me seemed to snap her out of it and she turned away, blushing slightly.

"I should make you something to eat," Ivy quickly dashed to the refrigerator, again taking me by surprise with her speed and grace.

"I'm fine," I assured her, smiling as I stole Ivy's steaming mug of coffee, thankful for the heat that warmed my body as I sipped it. It was a small triumph but I smiled as I held the mug to my lips, pleased with myself that I had taken her cup of coffee. She turned to look at me and I expected a scolding to stealing the coffee. Instead her look conveyed just pathetic she seemed to think I was. "Please don't look at me that way." I was surprised when my voice came out as barely a whisper; I felt so much conviction when I said it. I knew Ivy heard me though, with her superior hearing and just overall vampire coolness.

"How am I looking at you?" Ivy asked, swallowing the lump in her throat as her eyes focused on the bruise on my cheek.

"Like you pity me," I spat back, slightly angry at the changed dimension between us. I was once an equal to Ivy in my own right. She was right when we traveled across the United States, I was kicking ass and taking names to keep everyone safe. In my own way, I was becoming more powerful than even her Master Vampire and that made me dangerous to a lot of people. I could handle the consequences of such power, but not her pity at my lack of ability to use it.

"I don't pity you, Rachel."

"A lot has changed," I acknowledged it aloud more for myself than for Ivy. "We have to adjust, that's all."

"It was a run gone bad," Ivy tried to soothe my fears and ego. "We've all had them."

"A run that was targeted at me." I got up from the table as fast as I could given the limitations of my injuries. "I'll adjust."

"I'm here to help."

"I know." I sighed as I focused on my bare feet to avoid her eyes. "But I have to learn to take care of myself."

Ivy's gaze focused on the door before I even heard the knock. She sighed, and I watched her hair fall perfectly back in place after she raked her slender fingers through it. She gracefully opened the door, smiling and stepping aside to allow our visitor to enter.

"You're up?" I smiled and offered a small wave of hello to David. He looked between Ivy and I, keenly aware of the disruption he caused. "I didn't know you'd be up."

"You can come over anytime." I slowly made my way to the couch and sat down, biting my lower lip as I stubbornly placed one foot on the coffee table and then the other over the top of it. "What brings you by?"

"Ivy asked me…" I frowned when David looked at Ivy, as if asking for permission to talk to me about _my_ attack.

"Who attacked me, David?"

"I don't know him," he replied. I patted the sofa next to me so my friend would take a hint and sit down. I did owe David a lot; I could just feel the tally adding up, lopsided in my favor. "I was just coming over to update Ivy on what I could find out. But since you're up too…"

"I think she'll agree that I can hear what happened to me." I filled in the blanks for David ignoring the sharpness of my tone.

"The Alpha skipped town already. The other two look worse than you do, Rachel, that's how I easily found them. Neither of them knew who their Alpha talked to, but whoever it was has a lot of connections to get an Alpha to abandon their pack and take off. They gave me his name." David handed Ivy a manila folder with a picture and a name inside. I saw the recognition flash in her eyes. Her eyes instantly began to turn black, and I saw her focus to beat down her instincts, forcing the black color to leave her eyes in favor of her usual brown color. "I'll keep trying to track him down, but so far he's disappeared completely from the face of the Earth."

"Good, I hope he burns in the ever after then," I said folding my arms over my chest pouting.

"I'm going to go." David got up to leave and I instantly felt badly for not being more welcoming. We had been through a lot together, but I needed to finish the conversation with Ivy. I watched her walk David to the door, thanking him for his help and promising to be in touch. They were working together, a vampire and a Were, to provide me safety and I felt left out of my own life.

"Can I see the folder?" There was a hint of demand in my voice. I held my hand out waiting for Ivy to place the folder in my hand. "At least let me see who this bastard is."

"I'll find him."

"_We'll_ find him." I wanted to take care of myself. "You can't expect me to sit on the sidelines when it comes to my own wellbeing."

"I expect you to allow someone to take care of you for once," Ivy practically growled at me and I felt my own temper rising. "This isn't a joke, Rachel, there's a lot going on here that we don't know about."

"Don't you think I know that?" I practically screamed at her but that didn't stop me. No, I was Rachel Morgan. I practically waved a red flag in front of her face to provoke the argument further. "But this is my life, Ivy…" I suddenly sucked in as much air as I could get after losing my breath.

As Ivy walked closer to me, to help me, the hum that had overwhelmed me when I first came in contact with Ivy in the kitchen suddenly began to take over once more. Voices echoed in my head, nothing that I could make out, but loud enough to take over my own thoughts.

"Ivy…"

I blinked quickly to try to focus on Ivy as she approached me, kneeling in front of me as I struggled to catch my breath. When her hand reached out and touched my arm, it felt like my entire body began to buzz. When I placed my hand on Ivy's to try to pry it off my skin, the buzz stopped, becoming a peaceful hum and the voices stopped shouting in my head.

"Rache?" I could hear the concern in Ivy's voice as she watched my face cloud over between confusion and relief.

"Take your hand off."

As Ivy removed her hand, the voices began again. I quickly reached out and grabbed onto her, taking her by surprise. Much to Ivy's credit, she stayed perfectly still, despite me wrapping my arms around her body in a tight embrace. It was the only way I felt peace.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I was sulking. I was big enough to admit this to myself but not a big enough person to stop it. It had taken me more than ten minutes to climb the stairs into the steeple where I kept all my books. Some were books I had collected from witches, known published textbooks that were taught to witches from an early age. Those weren't the books that I was interested in; they weren't the books that would save Ivy's soul.

The one benefit of my time in the Ever After was that I had been able to continue researching a way to save Ivy's soul. Any break in my lessons gave me time to raid Al's vast library, hunting the elusive solution. I had realized that demon magic was the only likely avenue to save Ivy. She had come too far to lose who she was and I was willing to take the smut if a demon spell would help her. I had quickly realized that the short breaks Al allowed me weren't nearly long enough to find the solution so I had 'borrowed' several promising volumes from his library and stashed them amongst my collection in the steeple.

I thumbed through the first ancient demon text, searching each paragraph for any sign or spell that would remotely help me save Ivy.

"Turn it!" I threw the book across the room barely recognizing that it had hit the wall and fallen, creating a cloud of dust where it lay. I hadn't meant to startle Bis, the poor gargoyle was minding his own business perched in his usually spot.

"Miss Rachel?" Bis approached slowly, not certain of the cause of my foul mood. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing," I sighed, rubbing my temples to ward off my imminent headache. "Everything. I'm sorry I startled you."

"I don't understand, everything is wrong but nothing is wrong?"

"It's complicated." I offered a small smile to reassure him that the source of my frustration was not him.

"Are you sure you should be up here?" Bis perched on a bookshelf near me to continue the conversation. "Miss Ivy said you were hurt, very hurt, and needed a lot of rest. I am sorry I didn't protect you this time, Miss Rachel, I didn't know."

"It's not your job to protect me, Bis, it isn't anyone's job to protect me. I wish I could just do it myself."

Bis followed my gaze to the silver bracelet that hung from my slender wrist. A look of understanding flashed in his eyes, and then I would swear to the Turn that it was quickly replaced with pity.

"Don't pity me, Bis," I said softly. "I just have to find other ways to protect myself and stop allowing Ivy to pick me up every damn time something happens. Do you know she just ran out of here when David called telling her that he had a lead on the Alpha who attacked me?" I knew the moment the words left my mouth that it was rhetorical in nature, so I didn't bother to let Bis respond despite his mouth opening to answer me. "She left me downstairs, practically flying out of here despite years of telling me that she wanted to be close to me. I hug her and she bolts."

"Maybe she thought it best to follow the lead?"

"I could have already been there and back if I could use the lines," I grumbled, then suddenly realized that I had resources at my disposal that I had once not had, a brilliant idea crossed through my head.

"Miss Rachel?"

"Bis," I got up and walked toward him as fast as I could, but admittedly it wasn't fast at all, "if I asked you for a small favor, do you think I could do it?"

"If I can…"

"Great!" I saw his eyes widen at my sudden excitement but I didn't stop talking to acknowledge it. "I need you to use the lines, I need you to watch Ivy without her seeing you. Can you do that for me?"

"You want me to spy on Miss Ivy?"

"I want you to do me a favor and watch over her, like I would if I could, but presently I can't." I knew he was technically right, but technicalities were never my thing. I held up my wrist, not at all shamed at using guilt and my new weakness to sway Bis's decision.

"I can watch her for you, Miss Rachel," Bis said then looked at me quizzically and took a breath before asking the next question. "Why do you want me to watch Miss Ivy though?"

The question, although very easy, wasn't as easy to answer as I thought when I opened my mouth and shut it twice before answering. I even gave Bis credit for his patience since I must have looked ridiculous opening and closing my mouth like a fish.

"I need to know who did this to me, Bis."

"But she'll tell you when she gets back, won't she?"

"I need to make sure she is safe." The statement came out suddenly and borderline desperate which is not how it sounded in my head. In my head it sounded rather noble.

"If you are that worried about Miss Ivy, why would you wear the bracelet?"

I had asked myself that very question countless times. Was it fear of living in the Ever After? Was I afraid that Ivy's words rang true and I was outgrowing my life and those I loved?

"I will jump the line and be back for your answer." I knew Bis didn't mean it as a threat, but the thought that he was expecting an answer when he got back from someone that he looked up to created what felt like a large pit in my stomach, I was slowly becoming nauseous. I had no choice but to sit and wait, thinking of my answer and pretending to thumb through books looking for an answer to saving Ivy's soul.

It seemed like hours, but in reality, it was only minutes before Bis returned.

"Where is she?"

"In a compound," Bis said slightly out of breath. "There are a lot of Weres that live there, that much I could tell from the perch I landed on."

"Is she safe?"

"She's safe," Bis smiled, "your friend David is with her and they are asking questions to find someone. She is showing people a picture and they seem rather intimidated by Miss Ivy."

"Did she find who attacked me?"

"I heard her tell your friend that they were close."

"When you go back…." I stopped when an amused look crossed Bis's face. I frowned, giving up on the ability to arch my eyebrow, my frown served as my 'amused but confused' look as Jenks called it. "What?"

"I thought you said you would give me an answer?"

"Isn't that blackmail?" I asked quickly, cocking one hip as I planted my hands at my waist. I squinted, studying the young gargoyle. Bis had always been so accommodating, almost subservient. I wondered where his newfound confidence and mischievousness had come from. Mischief. The answer suddenly struck me. "Have you been hanging with Jenks?"

Bis dropped his gaze and, had he been able, I swear he would have blushed at being caught.

"Just what I need. Jenks corrupting you," I mumbled.

"He doesn't corrupt, we just talk. I keep him company," Bis replied.

"Company?"

Bis dropped his gaze again, fidgeting nervously for a moment. "I… he… he doesn't sleep well since Mitalena is gone."

"Oh," I whispered. I knew how hard Jenks had taken her death, but he seemed to have worked through his grief. I silently kicked myself that I hadn't considered he might still be struggling.

"Not always," Bis offered, as if reading my thoughts. "It's been getting better."

"Well I'm glad you've become friends," I offered quietly. I noticed that he was still staring at me intently, clearly waiting. "You want me to tell you before you'll go back, don't you?"

"Miss Ivy always tells me that sometimes all a person needs to face their fears is the right motivation."

"Miss Ivy," I mumbled, "needs to mind her own business and stop spewing wisdom on the younglings." I knew Bis had heard part of it based on his smile. "I made a promise to my best friend that I would save her soul, so I need to be here and not banished to the Ever After to make that happen."

"So you're wearing the bracelet to hide from the demons and the Ever After?"

"See," I tried to play off my answer as simple and truthful, "wasn't that easy? Now can you go back and tell me what else is going on?"

"I will be back." Bis flashed out of sight, leaving me once again to my traitorous thoughts.

"Ugh, Rachel." I rested my head in my hands as my elbows supported the weight of it, thoughts running through it a mile a minute. "You can't even by honest with Bis who saved your life."

"She broke down a door," Bis said from behind me causing me to jump.

"What door? Who is there?"

"Nobody yet," Bis said, "but she picked up a photo that looked an awful lot like you. I heard Miss Ivy tell your friend David that it was obvious they had been contracted to kill you."

"Kill me?" I was shocked despite having suffered the fate of that contract. Hurt, sure, but kill had actually not dawned on me until this moment. "Does she know where he is?"

"I'm not sure," Bis smiled. "Perhaps I should go back."

"Fine," I sighed. "I don't want to lose her either. I don't want my life to change, I like how things are between Ivy and I."

"You wouldn't change anything, Miss Rachel?" Bis prodded and I knew the answer in my heart.

"I would change not being dragged into the Ever After. I would change not having demons hunt me, so I have to wear this bracelet to hide from them. Every single time someone comes looking for me from the Ever After, it is a reminder of what I am, and I hate that everyone around me is reminded."

"Miss Ivy loves you for who you are, I saw her when she carried you home hurt."

"She's leaving me," I said it so softly that I wasn't sure if Bis heard me or not. "She told me so in San Francisco, and it made me realize that although I'm not sure I can give her what she wants, I'm certain I'm not ready to let her go."

"I will be right back." Bis looked so proud of me for facing my feelings and, truth be told, I was proud of myself for voicing what I hadn't been able to in the past. I stood up and began to pace, waiting for Bis to return.

"Miss Ivy found him!" Bis seemed more excited than I had ever seen him. "She was questioning someone that looked worse than you, Miss Rachel. It was obvious he is hurt, and she promised he could get medical attention if he answered her questions."

"That's great!" I would have been more excited but showing it was too much for my body at this moment. "She is letting him go?"

Bis shook his head as he perched himself on a rocking chair.

"I think she is trying to persuade him to give her information. He looked very badly beaten."

"He can rot in the Ever After for all I care!" I looked Bis straight in the eye and suddenly felt like I owed him more of an explanation on my feelings for Ivy and why I wore the bracelet. "I don't want to let her go, Bis. That's why I wear it, because when life turns inside out she is the only constant I have, her and Jenks. If I don't wear the bracelet, I'll lose them."

"Is that fear or love?"

I considered Bis's question, not wanting to answer too quickly before I thought about it. But the answer was so simple, staring me in the face.

"Both," I said feeling tears in my eyes. "If I didn't love her I wouldn't care if I lost her. I just don't know if I can love her like she needs."

"Jenks says that's part of love, losing yourself enough to give the other person what they need and finding out that it's what you needed all along."

"Boy, those two are just full of wisdom aren't they?" I said, my voice dripping withsarcasm, as my phone began to vibrate announcing an incoming call. Before I could even speak my usual greeting, Ivy's voice rang through the phone.

"The next time I tell you to stay put, at least warn me that you're sending your gargoyle."

The line went dead and I looked at Bis, smiling from ear to ear, as he flew up to his usual place to perch leaving me holding my dead cell phone and wondering what the rest of the conversation would bring once Ivy returned home.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

It had only taken Ivy about thirty minutes to return home, and within that time I had managed to surround myself with as many books as I could to create a rather weak barrier around myself. I had no idea what mood was about to greet me when I heard her footsteps on the stairs. I grimaced, realizing that the fact that I could hear her footsteps meant she wanted me to hear her. Would she be mad that I sent Bis to spy on her?

"Rachel?"

Ivy stepped onto the floor and stared at me for a moment, taking in the mess I had made of all my textbooks. She smiled at the guilty look that crossed my face and proceeded slowly into the dusty room. Her eyes were the same warm color they usually were when she was in control of her instincts, a fact that surprised me given she had been scouring the city for the Were who had attacked me, a task similar to how I believed she hunted.

"Can you be ready to go in five minutes?" she continued

"Where are we going?" I did nothing to conceal my excitement at the prospect of leaving the church and seemingly being useful in an investigation that centered on me. "Where is he?"

"I dropped him off with Glenn," Ivy said, amused at my look of anticipation. "I asked Glenn to hold him until we get there; I have some questions I'd like to ask him myself before someone else tries to wrangle a confession out of him."

"Well I do too!" I struggled to my feet and barely got my balance before I flashed Ivy a smile to showcase my victory. "See, I could have gone with you."

"Don't push it," Ivy grumbled as I stepped past her. "I'll obviously drive."

The air in my lungs seemed to empty and I felt myself grab for the wall. The vertigo was short-lived, but only because Ivy reached out to grab me and steady me on my feet. When her hand touched my arm and she placed her other hand on my shoulder, the overwhelming sensation of nausea subsided. The loud roar in my ears suddenly became a low hum. The best way I could describe it would be those sound machines people use to drown out noise and lull themselves to sleep at night.

"What's wrong, Rachel?"

"I don't know," I answered honestly as I reached for Ivy, placing my hand on her waist. "I haven't had this since…" I trailed off not wanting to finish the sentence. But the truth was that once she had left the church, the only thing clouding my mind had been my own thoughts of her based on Bis's 'Dear Abby' session.

"Since I left?" Ivy's voice sounded small, almost childlike when she spoke the words I had censored in myself.

"It isn't you, it's me."

"Is this going to be another lecture on how you're wired?" I cringed at the coldness and bitterness in Ivy's voice. "Sorry." She had immediately felt the difference between us when I coiled back and let my hand drop to my side.

"I'm not sure how I'm wired anymore," I answered quietly as I began my slow decent down the stairs. I hadn't bothered to look back to see if she was following, mostly because I didn't want her pity. I didn't want her to feel sorry for me that I had to learn myself all over again; the bracelet was proving more trouble than it might be worth. That thought had crossed my mind over and over again, when Bis left me to spy on Ivy using the lines, if I was making the right choice by leaving it on. My thoughts kept leading me back to Ivy, and Jenks, and the life I had built here with them. At the time a bracelet seemed like a small price to pay to keep my sanity and my family intact, but the longer I wore it the more it made me wonder.

"Are you sure you can make it down to the FIB?" I could tell Ivy was closer behind me now, my skin felt on fire, but not in a bad way. It was like a thousand soft fingers were all poking me at the same time in my back, something I had never felt before.

I just shook my head, unable to form words, as I stepped off the last stair to stand in the foyer of the church. I walked over to my running shoes, they were shiny and white given the small number of times I've worn them. In my recovery state, it seemed more logical to wear those than four inch heeled boots.

"Rachel." It wasn't merely that Ivy had called my name; it was the sound of her voice that got my attention and caused me to turn toward her. "I'm sorry for that..." Ivy waived her hand in the air toward the steeple, unable to fully voice what her comment meant. "It was stupid."

"I can't say I didn't deserve it," I managed to choke out before I opened the door and squinted at the sun that seemed to shine directly in my eyes. It seemed like an eternity since I had been outside in the sunlight. "Life moves on obviously, the last time I remember being out it was raining."

I moved toward my car and, without putting up the slightest argument, I opened and settled into the passenger side of my vehicle. Ivy brought the car to life and slowly backed out of the driveway. I didn't bother to point out that driving slower didn't actually help ease the discomfort of hitting Cincinnati's potholes and that with every turn I felt like I was swallowing my lungs. I closed my eyes and tried to drown out the voices in my head, all murmuring as if I should know what they were saying. When Ivy made a turn into the FIB lot a little too fast for my condition, I leaned closer to her and the voices turned from low and unrecognizable to loud and clamoring.

"She's yours!"

"Take her!"

"It has to be this way…"

"No!" I shouted back startling both myself and Ivy. I opened my eyes to see her staring at me. I had never seen Ivy scared, not until I had faced Kusox in San Francisco, and not since then. But the same look of fear and sadness crossed her face.

"What is going on, Rachel?"

"I don't know," I said as I blinked back tears and forced myself to look away from her eyes. "When you're around me…."

"What?" Ivy's hand reached out to touch me but suddenly stopped, frozen just inches above my knee.

"It's like my entire body goes into overdrive and I feel you," I whispered, afraid of her reaction. "I can feel you looking at me, my skin feels on fire around you, but then when you touch me…"

Ivy waited patiently for me to finish my sentence, but I didn't think I could. How would you tell your best friend that being around them is almost like pure torture until they touch you, something that is pure torture for them? It was clearly a lose-lose situation for me. I knew in my heart Ivy would touch me and put herself through hell to help in any way she could.

"Is it the bracelet?"

"I don't know," I said with a tone of finality in my voice that I hoped would end the conversation for the moment as I closed the car door behind me. I wanted to focus on the task at hand, why I was a target for the Were population, and take my time to research what exactly was going on between Ivy and me. I opened the FIB station door and walked inside, confident that Ivy would have no problem keeping up with me in my weakened state. Thankfully, Glenn was in the hallway speaking to another officer. It saved me the trek all the way to his office.

"Where is he, Glenn?" I smiled, anxious to talk to the person who had mercilessly, and literally, kicked me while I was down. "I want to talk to him."

"Now hold on a second, Rachel." I could tell by his voice that he was going to play things by the book. "This is an ongoing investigation if you want to press charges. You're the key witness; it would be really unorthodox to have you questioning him. I'm already violating a lot of rules by allowing Jenks to be in there with him for as long as I have."

"He's probably already pixed him and his underwear half a million times." Ivy smiled at the mental picture I knew flew through her head and, despite myself, I let out a small chuckle.

"So Jenks is in there already and I can't be? I'm the one that deserves to face him!"

Ivy suddenly turned toward the outer door before any of us even heard it open. She looked genuinely surprised, as we all were, when Skimmer walked through the door. She was dressed casually, yet she carried it off as if she were wearing an overpriced suit. She looked around and caught Ivy gazing at her with her mouth hanging open. Skimmer's eyes suddenly widened in surprise.

"What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Ivy shot back as she walked toward the front entrance. "This is the last place I would expect to see you."

"A girl's gotta make a living." Skimmer placed her briefcase on the floor and then leaned in to kiss Ivy on the cheek. "I was going to call you right after I left here."

"That doesn't explain what you're doing here."

"Someone called me," Skimmer said, looking sideways right at me and glaring before finishing her sentence. "It appears I have a client in need. I see Rachel's doing better, must be some of that famous Tamwood TLC you used to give me when we were younger and I was feeling sick."

I felt like vomiting, never in my life did I have to try to suppress a gagging sound more than I had to now.

"The Were that attacked Rachel is here." Ivy walked next to Skimmer until they approached the rest of our group and Skimmer smiled at Glenn. "I brought him in after I found him. I just want to ask him a few more questions."

Skimmer handed Glenn a piece of paper, with her perfect penmanship on it, and turned to face Ivy.

"Well I'm sure you'll get to the bottom of it, then after that we should meet for that coffee you missed earlier this week."

"I just need to focus on this guy right now," Ivy insisted and I impatiently placed my hands on my hips and huffed in Glenn's direction.

"When can I get in there?" I demanded, knowing everyone else in the office now knew how exasperated I was.

"You'll have to ask her." Glenn handed the piece of paper back to Skimmer and stepped back, knowing the situation was about to get tense. "He's her client."

"He what?" I practically scared myself with the volume of my voice. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"What are the odds...?" Skimmer smiled innocently at Ivy who was simply standing there, in disbelief, not reacting at all to Glenn's statement.

"You're defending the Were population now, Skimmer, or is it more the fact that he tried to kill me that makes it appealing for you to defend him?"

"Try the need to pay rent, Rachel." Skimmer's eyes began to dilate but that still didn't detour me from taking her on. I had done it once and won; there would be no stopping me now. "Believe it or not, everyone's life doesn't revolve around you. I happen to need to work now that I'm not fully protected under any one camarilla. Or did you forget that I was basically disowned when I killed Piscary for Ivy?"

"How could I forget? You certainly use it to your advantage whenever the opportunity arises. It just seems odd to me that you're defending the same Were that tried to kill me. I don't believe in poking the Fates, Skimmer, but this just seems too coincidental for me."

"Let me explain something to you, Rachel." I could just see the anger boiling under the surface as Skimmer approached me. "Once someone kills a master vampire, there aren't a lot of vampires who are willing to take a chance and side with you. That means, in order to live, I need to work for _other_ species that I wouldn't have otherwise taken on as clients before Piscary's untimely death."

"Can I please talk to you in private?" I almost fainted when I heard Ivy's request to Skimmer. Even Jenks, who had just flown out to greet us, looked like he was about to fall from the sky. He perched himself on my shoulder, crossing his arms over his chest in defiance as he spoke.

"That was so nice I think I threw up a little in my mouth." Jenks stuck his tongue out at Skimmer as she faced us.

I chuckled; I could always count on Jenks to back me up.

"You can use my office," Glenn offered politely, making me fight the urge to ask if he was about to get paid thirty pieces of silver for my dead body.

Ivy placed her hand on the small of Skimmer's back ushering her toward Glenn's office. It wasn't until the door was shut that Jenks and I moved closer to eavesdrop on their conversation. If I didn't think Glenn would turn me down by the look of disapproval that was now etched on his face, I would have asked for a glass to hold up between the door and my ear to hear better.

"What are you doing, Skimmer?"

"Working," Skimmer said as I heard her footsteps move closer to the door. "Come on, Ivy, you know there is no way that I could have known this was the Were that attacked Rachel. I wasn't even sure what he was being held for."

"You took him on as a client without knowing that?"

"That's how lawyers work when they're broke. We become a lot less selective when we have to make rent. You know I'm good, and in the five minutes we've been in here talking, I can think of thirty different things that will get him off. You illegally detained him didn't you? Not to mention that Jenks just flew out from the holding cell, which means someone who is not even affiliated with the FIB was interrogating him. That's just the beginning!"

"He attacked Rachel." Ivy's voice was turning into a growl, which made me smile.

"And you violated his rights." Skimmer leaned up against the door, I could tell it was her through the frosted glass, as she folded her arms and dropped her voice an octave to settle the argument down. "At least I'm working, Ivy, that's my excuse. What are you doing?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"No," Skimmer answered without hesitation. "When you came back from San Francisco you told me that you had told Rachel goodbye. That you knew she was outgrowing you, your hopes and aspirations. I thought you settled your feelings for her and you were moving on."

Skimmer approached Ivy and I looked away from Jenks when he turned in my direction to see if I had heard what Skimmer had just said.

"Talk to me, Ivy, and maybe I'll decide I don't like this case after all. Otherwise, you know he'll walk, I'm damn good at what I do and I can have him out of here within the hour. You can't continue to follow him; I'll press charges for harassment if I have to. You also know this is a side issue, that the real question is why you're still here in Rachel's life when you know what she is, and you've come to realize that even if she were to give you everything that you wanted in a relationship with her it wouldn't work. Or was that just all bullshit you handed me when you got back from San Francisco?"

No sound came through the door for several seconds and I imagined that Ivy was well on her way to pissed off.

"Are you staying out of guilt because she's wearing that bracelet? Is that it?" Skimmer continued.

Ivy remained silent and I felt like if I took the smallest of breaths the conversation would end and this was an answer I needed to hear but didn't dare to ask the question. Why was Ivy staying with me after saying goodbye in San Francisco?

"You don't honestly believe that she's wearing that bracelet for you, do you? She's wearing it because it's what she wants. She's doing it for her. If she takes the bracelet off, she can protect herself even better than you can."

"And be dragged into the Ever After with demons clawing at her for her power!" Ivy finally shouted back. "Do you think that I can live with myself knowing that's what would become of her? I told her goodbye in San Francisco because I knew that she couldn't say it to me, we'd always be in this same limbo if someone didn't make a move to end it one way or the other. And if she couldn't get her shunning rescinded I didn't want her to feel badly about leaving us. It wasn't bullshit, but that doesn't mean I can just turn my feelings off?"

"You didn't want _her_ to feel badly? When has Rachel Morgan ever given a good damn about you and your feelings? Was it when she was sleeping with Kisten? Or maybe Tom? Was it when you ran to her rescue over and over while she rejected you just as many times? How much crap are you going to take and just keep coming back for more? She satisfied her curiosity with one half-completed encounter ages ago and you follow her around like a lost puppy waiting for a pat on the head. You're a fucking idiot, Ivy."

"I may be," Ivy replied, pausing when her voice cracked, "but I love her and I can't just walk away."

"You _love_ her? How do you love her?" Skimmer hissed.

"I just love her," Ivy replied softly.

"How do you love her?" Skinner repeated, emphasizing each word.

"I don't understand the question."

"Then allow me to clarify. You love her like a sister, you love her as a friend or do you love her romantically? Are you IN love with her?"

I sat, or rather stood hunched over, frozen as I waited to hear Ivy's response. Jenks flew into motion before I could stop him. A small window above the door sat barely opened and Jenks disappeared through it. "Enough! Look, I don't care if you all get laid by a bunch of Disney whores! Rachel was attacked and we have the asshole that did it! Let's rough him up and get him to talk. I just want to catch the person behind the attack and our only good lead is waiting to squeal like a pig in mud!"

"Not on my watch he isn't." Skimmer opened the door so quickly it made it impossible for me to stand up straight in time to pretend I wasn't eavesdropping. "Your questioning is done." Glenn stepped back as she approached him with a furor matched only by her arrogance. "I want my client released within the next ten minutes or we'll be pressing charges for each and every infraction that's incurred tonight."

Skimmer walked past me, banging my shoulder as she passed me by. I refused to give her the satisfaction at seeing how much pain it caused me, so I bit the inside of my cheek to prevent from yelling out.

"So I guess now the thing to do is to watch as Skimmer walks our only lead out the door," Glenn huffed.

"You're just giving up?" I turned and faced Ivy in disbelief. "I, for one, am not going to take that lying down!"

"You have no choice, Rachel, she's right. Beyond everything else Skimmer is an amazing attorney, nobody is better. We have no shot at facing her in the legal system to hold this guy."

"Tink's dirty dildo, we're sitting around here waiting for her to walk him out!" I smiled at his rant, knowing that Jenks felt the same way I did. "She may walk him out of this building, but the world is a big, bad place, Tamwood. He hasn't seen the last of me!"

I should have been as eager as Jenks to follow this guy, find out what he knew outside of the rules and confines of the FIB. But my focus was elsewhere. I watched as Ivy began to glide toward the door, feeling as if karma had won this round but more was left to come. If she couldn't tell Skimmer the truth about how she felt, maybe she would tell me.


	7. Chapter 7

The ride home had been uneventful, mostly because the day had taken its toll on my healing body and exhaustion had caused me to fall asleep. The last thing I remember was my internal battle on how to bring up what had happened back at the FIB. It wasn't just the fact that the Were who had beaten me bloody had been released, but more Ivy's lack of response to Skimmer about her feelings for me. I had a strong suspicion that despite her goodbye and remarkable kiss in San Francisco, and only to myself could I admit that it was incredible, I knew where we stood with one another.

"Wake up, Rachel." I opened my eyes and for a moment I wasn't sure where I was. Ivy's fingers on my shoulder set my skin on fire. Again, it was like a thousand tiny fingers were poking at me, making me aware of her presence. I instantly woke up, the haze from my nap completely gone, as I stared into her eyes and heard the voices once more.

"_She's yours!"_

"_Take her, it's the only way!"_

I blinked to block out the voices as my mind began the familiar hum that seemed to happen each time Ivy came near me. I shook my head again and she backed up, hands in the air with her palms facing me in mock surrender, waiting for me to react. The moment she backed away, the voices disappeared and it seemed my facial expression did as well by the look that came over her face.

"We're home." Ivy sounded completely defeated and I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat as guilt washed over me. I watched her turn and disappear into the church. I was mildly shocked at the fact that she didn't even try to help me inside.

"No really, I got this," I mumbled sarcastically to myself since she was already out of my sight.

After biting my lower lip in determination, I was able to get out of my car and make my way up to the door, grateful Ivy had left it ajar.

"Are we simply not going to talk about what just happened?" I announced, kicking the door closed behind me.

Ivy turned around with a look of confusion on her face.

"I don't know how to respond to what just happened. You can't tell me what's going on and since I can't get close enough to figure it out without your body and mind rejecting me, I'm not sure there is anything left to say. It's obvious that what you couldn't vocalize before is simply manifesting itself in different ways now."

"That's not fair!" I chose to ignore the way Ivy's eyes began to become enveloped in black as I raised my voice. "First you know it's not anything I can control or even understand myself, so that was really a shitty response! Second, you know what I'm talking about and it isn't this….whatever these episodes are."

Ivy raised her eyebrow in question, almost amusement, as she stared at me waiting for my outburst to conclude.

"I'm talking about Skimmer!"

"What about her?" Ivy gracefully walked toward the kitchen, quickly opening the refrigerator and taking out the orange juice. Truthfully, I wasn't mad that she simply ignored all etiquette and drank from the carton. I was angry that she was so aloof about the fact that her "friend" had just stalled our case.

"For starters, she completely ruined our case." I started to tick my fingers off to count all the infractions I wanted to blame on Skimmer; I felt my rage rising to match my now piercing voice. "She got him off without even letting us talk to him. We'll never have the trail so hot, you know how cases go!" I walked up and cornered Ivy as she drank from the carton of orange juice more rapidly now. Even I had to admit that it wasn't the brightest idea to corner a vampire who was already fighting her instincts. "How the Turn did she get out anyway? I now know the answer when people ask me what's happened to make the world like it is, people can simply kill someone and just decide when they get to walk out of jail!"

"I told you," Ivy's voice was firm but controlled as she stepped around me to put space between us, "Skimmer is an amazingly intelligent attorney. I'm shocked she stayed in jail as long as she did, and personally I think it was just to prove a point to me."

"What? You're not really saying that she's trying to manipulate you in any way are you?" I did my best to sound shocked while obviously mocking the idea, since I knew that was exactly what Skimmer did on a regular basis. I capped off my performance by putting my hand on my chest and allowing my mouth to gape open.

The corner of Ivy's mouth turned up as she fought a smile before answering, "Skimmer loves me in her own way, Rachel. At times that way is what I need."

I ignored the way her voice changed to a soft whisper as she admitted what she felt was a weakness.

"It isn't what you need!"

"And how would you know, Rachel?" Ivy turned to me, her eyes growing darker by the moment. It never occurred to me to feel fearful of her reaction in any way. Perhaps I had hit my head harder than I realized as she began to walk around me. She reminded me of a panther cornering their prey, waiting for the right moment to pounce.

"Because I know you, and being manipulated by someone is not the way to be loved. You're a token to her, Ivy; Skimmer doesn't give a shit about you!"

"Funny." Ivy's voice was dripping with sarcasm catching my attention and holding my gaze locked to her own. "Skimmer says the same thing about you."

"Fuck her!" I spat as I turned around and stormed into the family room, dropping down onto the couch to effectively pout. "It isn't like you're overly happy about your interaction at the FIB with her either. You're making me feel like I'm some kind of freak for being upset at her interference in our case!" I watched Ivy as she started to settle into our recliner opposite the couch, looking completely relaxed and peaceful despite me screaming. "I don't buy it anyway, Ivy. Doesn't it seem like too much of a coincidence that she ends up defending the Were that attacked me? I was born at night, Ivy, just not last night."

"I don't really want to talk about Skimmer," Ivy said as she began to thumb through the information David had given her earlier.

"What, is that your theme for the day?" I let my mouth hang open, shocked at my boldness to press a topic I usually avoided like the plague. Apparently I wasn't the only once since it took Ivy a few moments of silence to recover from me broaching the subject.

"Why, Rachel," Ivy's sarcasm was back and she placed her hand on her chest as I had just a few moments ago to make a point, "whatever do you mean?"

I was stuck; I knew I couldn't back down after she had given me a chance and I blatantly ignored it. I knew she had me stuck in this conversation now and what was worse was that Ivy knew she had me stuck in the conversation. Whether I wanted the discussion to continue or not, I couldn't jerk my best friend around like that yet again, I had to respond.

"You never answered her question," I shot back as I settled back into the couch and defiantly crossed my arms over my chest hoping I seemed more confident than I felt. I hated to let Ivy win.

"What exact question do you want answered, Rachel?"

Ivy's voice was like silk, wrapping itself around me, making it almost impossible for me to concentrate. Normally what happens when she starts throwing pheromones is that my scar lights up like the 4th of July and I can barely contain my desire. But this time, my entire body felt tingly, aroused in a controlled sense and I didn't understand the different reaction. I had no choice, with Ivy's smug smile and cocked eyebrow; I refused to let her win this round so I pressed forward.

"You never answered her question about your feelings for me."

I tried hard to hide my smile as I trumped Ivy's confidence with my own. What began as a simple contest of wills was becoming increasingly interesting, and I felt, for the first time, a sense of excitement over the prospect of discussing our relationship. I could have blamed the accident, claiming delusionary behavior due to the beating I had received. I could have blamed the bracelet, I'm not sure even Trent knows how it works so that would have been an easy excuse to blame my odd behavior on. But for the moment I didn't blame anything, I was reveling in watching Ivy stammer.

"Well we might as well put it all out there." I tried to continue with a self-assured tone in my voice. "You kissed me in San Francisco. You said goodbye, and yet that kiss was not a goodbye kiss."

"And you've chosen now to discuss this while someone is out there desperate to prove a point to you?"

"No time like the present." I smiled smugly now, I couldn't help feeling that I was on better footing during this conversation than Ivy and I had to take advantage of it. "You don't have to admit shit to Skimmer, I could care less about her, but don't you think you owe it to me to tell me about your feelings?"

"They haven't changed." Ivy forced herself to hold my gaze and, for that reason alone, I couldn't look away. "But you knew that didn't you? Is it a game, Rachel? To see how many times you can get me to open my heart so you can step on it?" I watched in horror as she simply flipped her file open and began to peruse it once again. "I said goodbye to you in San Francisco because you wouldn't say it to me. It's like a chess game that never ends; someone finally had to make a move to allow a checkmate."

"So you told me goodbye to manipulate me into admitting I love you?"

"No, I said goodbye to you in San Francisco so that I could move on and stop wasting my time on something that is never going to happen."

"Because I can't love you like Skimmer does?" Even I heard the disdain in my voice as I spoke Skimmer's name.

"Because you don't love me period," Ivy said sadly, "you're not wired that way."

Her words hurt, the same words that I had uttered, the same words that likely crushed her hopes and desires, crushed me hearing them back. I'd come to hate those words, and this was the second time today they were thrown back in my face. I felt so many emotions and finally noticed that I felt dizzy. It was like my entire system was on overdrive and I was running to catch up.

"Feel better?" I shot back in anger. "I'm trying to have a conversation with you, not piss you off although I can't say the same for you!"

"You're the one screaming," Ivy pointed out, quickly taking back control of the conversation, which just served to anger me more. "Do I seem pissed?"

"You kissed me!" I ignored the pain that shot through my body as I jumped off the couch quicker than I should have and pointed my finger dangerously close to Ivy's face.

"If you were so offended by the kiss why didn't you stop it?"

"I never said I was offended!" I yelled back not even hearing what I was saying. Any filter I had once possessed to keep the thoughts in my head from coming out of my mind was in fact gone at this moment. "We just… we never got a chance to talk about it, and instead of taking the small chance we did get when we came back, you ran and blabbed your feelings to Skimmer instead of trusting me with them!"

Ivy looked thoroughly confused, and frankly I didn't blame her, but it didn't stop me from walking toward her as she rose from the seat and walked into the kitchen must faster than she normally would have.

"You shouldn't have kissed me goodbye!" I truly felt like I was having in out-of-body experience as I cornered Ivy once more in the kitchen.

"And why is that, Rachel? Did it bother you that much to feel my lips on yours?" Ivy's voice was pure seduction and she looked confident right up until the point that I stood in front of her, invading every inch of her personal space.

"Because after that kiss," I paused, ignoring the voices that were starting to come back. I anchored my hand on her hip and they instantly went away, replaced with a hum that radiated through my entire body. When I placed my other hand around her neck and held her head still, the hum went away just as it had when I had launched myself into her arms earlier in the day. "Maybe I don't want to say goodbye."

Her eyes were instantly enveloped in black, her head trying to pull back to look at me, as if I were a complete stranger. Her back was up against the counter and she spread her legs slightly to steady herself.

"I can't explain why, but I'm done fucking around, Ivy."

I had no idea where this was coming from, but it felt so good to be touching her and, in traditional Rachel Morgan style, I didn't stop to question my actions or think things through.

I leaned forward, and I wasn't sure how it happened, but I felt my tongue slowly escape my mouth and lick Ivy's lips gently. I started at her upper lip, exhaling through my nose when Ivy first placed her hand on my hip. When she moved her hand and ran it down up back, I stepped even further into her spread legs. I licked Ivy's bottom lip, not allowing her the pleasure of her tongue touching mine; I was in control, or at least I pretended to be.

Finally, Ivy overpowered me, her hands went to my back, and she pulled me fully into her body. Our lips met, I could taste the orange juice residue and despite the fact that I don't normally drink it, it truly felt like the drink of the gods. I could smell Ivy's scent, that unique blend of incense and cinnamon mixed in with what I thought was the scent of her arousal. I grabbed onto Ivy's face as our lips remained active, walking backward with my hands on her cheeks to try to find the couch.

"God you're beautiful," I whispered as I broke free from the kiss to take a much needed breath. I didn't recognize my own voice, it was husky with desire, but not in any way that it had ever been before. "You're not leaving me."

Ivy's lips brushed against mine once more as I continued to walk backward toward the couch. I knew at that moment, that no matter what happened, I would never forget the small smile that crept over her talented lips, the lips that promised so much more when I whispered "you never cease to amaze me" in my aroused voice.

When we finally descended onto the couch, my fingertips gently caressed the skin that was now exposed between Ivy's shirt and the waistband of her jeans. This was not like the kiss in San Francisco. For that kiss, I was almost paralyzed not knowing what to make of it all. This one was different, I was an active participant if not the initiator and the sound of her moan against my mouth when my fingers inched higher was exciting and arousing.

"You're shaking," Ivy whispered as I moved my fingers around to her side and flexed them against her perfect alabaster skin.

"I know." I breathed heavily, not even bothering to turn my head when the shrill of the phone broke into our conversation. I ran my hand down Ivy's thigh, not certain why the feel of it was so surprising. It was solid, muscular, yet feminine all at the same time; a combination that truly was the essence of Ivy.

She leaned forward and nipped at my bottom lip, not hard enough to break the skin, but it sent shock waves through my body as I closed my eyes in delight. I ignored my own voice ringing throughout the church to announce that no one was able to take the incoming call and the options were to leave a detailed message or call back when we were available.

It hardly dawned on me when I heard Glenn's voice, whatever he had to say it truly wasn't important as Ivy's tongue slipped into my mouth and began caressing my own. To say Ivy was a perfect kisser would have been the world's greatest understatement. I was about to tell her that fact when I broke free to take a breath and heard the words that effectively doused my arousal.

"Your Were was just pulled out of the river. He's dead."


	8. Chapter 8

The walk from the church to my car was excruciating, and while I plastered a smile on my face to try to mask the pain, I knew Ivy could see through my façade. I had to give her credit; there was no argument about me staying home despite having overdone it, no argument about her being able to handle it alone. I silently wondered if there was no argument because we both seemed rather shell shocked by the kiss we had just shared.

"David." Ivy balanced her cell phone between her shoulder and ear as she settled in the driver's seat of my car and started the engine. "Our friend was just pulled out of the river by the FIB. I need you to get over there and make sure Glenn knows I want to see the body myself when I get the chance."

"We aren't going?" I got annoyed when Ivy ignored me, paying attention to the voice on the other end of her phone. It only made it worse when I opened my mouth once again to speak and she waved her hand in the air to shush me.

"Take a few pictures for me too, please. I'd like you to dig a bit more and see if he has any family. We're looking for a motive for both the attack and his murder now."

Ivy turned the car around, heading in the opposite direction of the river.

"Where are we going?" I didn't want to sound harsh, but I felt on edge and hated being shushed.

"To get answers."

Ivy's jaw was clenched, her knuckles turning white from gripping the steering wheel. I rode in silence, thankful to be lost in my thoughts. What had gotten into me? I didn't just kiss Ivy, I _kissed_ Ivy. My heart began racing as I thought about it, how she felt, her tongue touching mine. It wasn't until I heard club music thumping outside the car that my attention focused on my surroundings. Ivy had parked the car and was breathing deeply trying to control her instincts.

"Where are we?"

"You should stay here," Ivy muttered as she began to open the car door. When I placed my hand on her arm to stop her progression, the hum instantly began and I shook my head to try to ward it off. I clenched my jaw, determined to work through it, as I tightened my grip on her arm.

"I am not going to sit here while you get answers to whatever the hell is going on in my life!"

I threw my door open as well, set on matching Ivy's stride into the club. The pain was almost blinding, but I pushed through it and entered the club behind her. My eyes adjusted to the dark, my ears adjusted to the loud music, and I ignored the sway of Ivy's hips as she walked inside before me. The pheromones were intense, my scar lit up instantly, and I made no effort to hide my movements as my hand flew to my neck to cover the scar.

"Are you sure you don't want to wait in the car?" Ivy's smirk was annoying and I sneered at her in response.

A woman behind the bar nodded in Ivy's direction with a sly smile. It was obvious that they knew one another, and the streak of jealousy ran deep within me. I tried to push it down, but when she nodded at me with a friendly smile, I refused to return it.

"Have you seen her?" Ivy asked the woman.

"Normal booth," the woman replied, handing Ivy a glass of red wine. "Normal drink."

Ivy took the drink and headed toward the back of the bar. As we made our way through the crowds of vampires scattered throughout the bar, the music got quiet and the light dimmed even further. It was obvious we were entering a part of the bar that most weren't granted access to. I simply followed, walking close enough to Ivy that the hungry patrons didn't mistake me for lunch. It wasn't until Ivy sat down and I was able to make my way completely around the corner that I came face to face with a smiling Skimmer.

"Oh wonderful." My words dripped with sarcasm and I rolled my eyes to further punctuate my point. I was annoyed we were in the club to see her.

"And you brought your friend I see." Skimmer brought the glass that Ivy had given her to her lips, sipping the wine carefully. Her gaze remained locked with Ivy's and I felt like I had just disappeared from the planet. "I didn't realize you needed to bring someone with you to see me these days, Ivy."

"You don't seem too upset." Ivy didn't even bother to ask me to sit down, and once the conversation had started, I was forced to stand. My annoyance quickly escalated.

"Why would I be?"

"You must not know." Ivy's eyebrow arched in surprise, a move that I would have loved to accomplish without looking like I was about to pass gas. "Your client is dead."

"Which one?" Skimmer remained stoic and I watched her every move looking for any crack in her armor. "I have a lot of clients."

"And you have only one that I'm concerned with."

"So the Were ended up dead, huh," Skimmer said, setting the glass down and placing a finger in her lips as if in deep thought. "Can't say I'm terribly surprised considering his chosen line of work. Cause of death?"

"I don't know; they're still working on that." Ivy leaned forward to try to intimidate Skimmer, who seemed to enjoy the space between them lessening.

"And you came to tell me personally," Skimmer smiled, flashing her teeth. "Would I be reading too much into it to assume that you're using it as an excuse to come to me?" When Ivy didn't answer, Skimmer allowed a perfect smile to form on her face. "You should know more than anyone, Ivy; you never need an excuse to come see me." Skimmer's voice dripped sex appeal and I bit my lip to keep from screaming at her. It didn't even register in my ear that I had made a noise when I bit my lip, but given that both Ivy and Skimmer were now staring at me I assumed I had.

"Oh, come on!" I was exasperated and my voice mirrored my emotion. Now that everyone's attention was on me and I had been forced into a position of leverage given I had to stand, I felt it prudent to use those factors to my advantage. "Can we stop playing around here, Ivy, and make sure she tells us what she knows." I loomed over Skimmer, enjoying the brief look of fear I thought I saw flash in her eyes.

"What do you think I know, Rachel?" Skimmer's confidence had returned and she held my gaze completely. "If I tell you what I know, frankly, it makes you look like a murderer. _You_ _two_ were hunting down this defenseless Were, whose rights _you_ violated six ways from Sunday, and now all of a sudden he's dead. You've got motive. What about an alibi, Rachel?" Skimmer now leaned back at the table, keeping both Ivy and I in her sights. "Is Ivy your alibi, Rachel? Now what would you have been doing to be one another's alibi?"

"Skimmer," Ivy warned.

"What do you want from me, Ivy? Do you want me to send monogrammed towels to your church to celebrate your fucked up relationship with Rachel?"

"I want the truth," Ivy said, clearly aggravated. "You were the last one to talk to him. There isn't any attorney/client privilege anymore since he's dead…"

"So true, it's a good thing I got paid in advance. Retainers are wonderful things." Skimmer paused to see Ivy's reaction to her jest, and when she determined that Ivy wasn't amused, she felt obliged to continue. "I asked him what happened, he told me that you assaulted him more or less, and I promised to get him off." Skimmer sipped out of her glass of wine once more waiting for Ivy to react.

"You didn't happen to ask whether he did or did not go after Rachel and why?"

"It didn't matter."

"What the hell do you mean it didn't matter?" I was angry and everyone within earshot knew it.

"Because I don't judge my clients, Rachel," Skimmer said calmly, making me look worse for getting angry. "I could care less if he went after you. You aren't my responsibility, not all vampires feel the need to babysit you, Morgan. Let's face it, my life would be a hell of a lot easier if he _had_ gone after you and finished the job!"

"Skimmer." Ivy's voice infuriated me more due to the calmness and the appeal she seemed to be making to Skimmer. "I need your help."

"No, you're asking me to help, Rachel." The sadness in Skimmer's voice commanded my attention. "You're asking me once again to sit on the sidelines while you continue to pine after someone who hasn't given you the time of day. Now you want me to partake in your sick obsession? Don't ask me to do something like that, Ivy. I've known you and loved you longer. _That_ I can't do."

"I don't need her damn help!"

Ivy's gaze was almost paralyzing. Her eyes were growing increasingly black and I could feel her anger in the air. I reminded myself that I had some pride; I didn't need to sit there and watch Ivy sell her soul to Skimmer to help me.

"Look." Ivy stroked the back of Skimmer's hand on the table and I instantly felt the nausea kick in. "Your client was the best lead we had to figuring out what happened to Rachel. I know she doesn't mean anything to you Skimmer, but she does to me."

"When are you going to learn that the world is as it is, Ivy? Vampires stay with vampires, and demons walk in the Ever-After for a reason." I ignored her glare at me when she said demon. The damn silver bracelet was a constant reminder of who I was; I didn't need Skimmer to try to use it against me. "A Were attacked her, because she is part of a pack perhaps? When you run with eclectic people, Ivy, it's hard to pin down what happens in their life. If it were a vamp that attacked her, I could help you. I just simply don't know anything about Weres nor did my client say anything to me that touched on motive for attacking Rachel."

"Not all demons walk in the Ever After, Skimmer." I leaned down to close the gap between her and I, inches from her face as venom dripped from my words. "To walk on this side of the lines is a sign of power, not shame. I _choose_ to be here, I _choose_ to wear this damn bracelet because I hated people dropping by my house unexpectedly or calling me into the Ever After for favors because of my strength. I also _choose_ to find out what happened to your client to get one step closer to who came after me and show them just how strong I am." I stood straight up, determination set in my posture. "And when all of that is done, I will _choose_ to be in Ivy's life in the capacity that _we_ determine, without your life lessons being part of that decision." I looked at Ivy, ignoring the shocked look on her face. "Now I _choose_ to walk away from this conversation because once again, your usefulness has expired."

I wasn't sure if it was Ivy making the loud noises or myself. Above the beat of the music, the loud talking of several patrons, and waitresses shamelessly dressed to encourage drinking and tipping, I heard a heart beating. I heard footsteps, when it should have been impossible for me to hear above the clamor. I stopped walking to determine if the steps were coming from me or from Ivy, who I inexplicably knew was only a few steps behind without having to turn around. They were Ivy's steps, and I closed my eyes to focus on the beating of her heart. When Ivy placed her hand on my shoulder, I felt every muscle contract in agony.

"It's too much!"

Ivy removed her hand but remained standing within a few inches of me. The voices began; even over the music I could hear the desperation in their tones.

"_Take her now, it's the only way."_

"_She's yours."_

"Oh god." I fought back the tears as the voices became increasingly louder. "Back up!"

Ivy raised her hands in surrender, her palms facing me as her eyes looked away toward the floor. She was hurt; I didn't need to be a genius to figure that out. I felt beads of sweat coat my skin as she backed up slowly, not wanting to alarm anyone. I held onto an empty bar stool to gain my bearings. I closed my eyes momentarily and that's when the voices instantly stopped. I opened them, hoping to ease Ivy's pain, but found her gone.

"You don't get it, do you?"

I turned around to see the bartender who had greeted Ivy earlier staring at me to engage me in conversation.

"I'm sorry?"

"You're a witch, right?" I was immediately skeptical of her. "There are certain…" She leaned forward as if she were sharing a life-long secret with me. "There are certain social norms for vamps."

"I know."

"For someone who knows you certainly manage to step all over them then." I ignored her snort of laughter as I sat down, knowing Ivy needed her space. "I'm giving her some space, ok? I didn't rush after her and trip every instinct she has."

"Her instincts are less about being a vamp and more about being into you," she offered. I offered a weak smile in return to her wide one and willingly accepted the glass of ice water she placed in front of me.

"It's complicated."

"It always is; if it weren't complicated it would come easy and then you'd take it for granted."

"You know her right?" I asked, eyeing the vamp bartender carefully.

"I do," she nodded without hesitation.

"How do you know, Ivy?"

"I run a bar here, you noticed that right? This isn't some Sunday school place of worship. She parties here at times, nobody gets hurt."

"And Skimmer?"

"The more dangerous of the two." I noticed that her voice dropped at least two octaves to be more secretive.

"I can handle danger." I laughed, and it felt good despite the sharp pain in my ribs. "I've come across it many times…."

"Not with a vamp like her." The woman looked around and I found myself leaning in over the bar to hear what she had to say as if my life depended on it. "Things happen in bars, you see things, or hear things that you might not otherwise come across."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying watch your back with that one." She smiled weakly as she looked around at the group standing nearest to us. "Ivy can't protect you all the time."

When I focused my attention on the pack of vamps that she was looking at, I missed her stepping away, as if vanishing into thin air.

"Damn vamp speed." I slammed the rest of the ice water, then forced myself to get up. There was no time like the present to confront Ivy, but as soon as that thought passed through my mind, I wondered how it got there in the first place. I'm the Queen of avoidance. And if I'm lucky it's a talent I managed to hold onto since I was about to put it to the test.


	9. Chapter 9

"How well do you know the bartender?" I let my words hang in the air between Ivy and me. We had driven home from the bar in complete silence. I had expertly avoided all discussion, closing my eyes to discourage interaction between us. I had to give Ivy credit, she didn't push. But now the nagging words of the bartender played repeatedly in my head, forcing me to confront them.

"How well do you know the bartender, Ivy?" My tone was demanding, but after she ignored me the first time I asked, I had to push further. "Do you trust her?"

"I don't know her that well."

"_Really_?" I snorted. I couldn't believe she would play it this way. "She knows you well enough."

"What would give you that impression?"

"She certainly knew you were…" I stumbled across my words, not certain if I wanted to bring up the fact that the bartender had insinuated that Ivy was attracted to me. I knew that, she knew that, but to address it now after the kiss would open up a huge discussion that I wasn't certain I could have right now.

"Knew what, Rachel?" Ivy's smirk told me she understood why I stopped myself from completing my sentence. "If you really want to talk about it, be prepared to talk about it. Otherwise, accept my answer that I know her as an acquaintance, nothing more and nothing less."

"She knew Skimmer's drink!"

"Such a crime for a bartender."

I opened my mouth to respond, but when nothing came out, Ivy smirked and continued the discussion.

"It's not hard to know Skimmer's drink since she doesn't drink anything else." Ivy's logic was beginning to irritate me. "Besides, if you'll remember when we got there she was already drinking a glass of wine so it isn't that far fetched that the bartender remembered it." Ivy reached for my file and began to thumb through it, reading her notes.

"Bet she knows your drink order…" I was mumbling, frowning at my feelings that I could only classify as jealousy.

"Why, Rachel," Ivy began, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Are you really wanting to have this conversation or are you going to stop halfway through and pretend to sleep?"

"I was resting my eyes, not pretending to sleep."

"You were avoiding," Ivy countered. Apparently I had worn Ivy's patience thin. "Avoiding is fine; it works for you. Just don't drag me down that path with you. I'm tired of avoiding the conversation of what is happening between us, and that includes what happens whenever I'm near you and you scream out in pain."

"It's overwhelming." I hardly recognized my own voice it was so soft and timid.

"Why?"

I couldn't bring myself to look into Ivy's piercing gaze. Whatever was happening was causing her pain and that hurt me greatly.

"_Why_?" Ivy was more insistent.

"My entire body goes on high alert." I felt the tears begin to cloud my eyes and I blinked rapidly to hold them at bay. I didn't want to cry and make this worse on Ivy. "The voices…" I paused to clear my throat and steady my voice. "When you get close to me, they start ringing in my head. The closer you get, the louder they get, until you get close enough to touch. When we touch, they stop. But to get to that point, it's painful; it's like three-hundred kids screaming at you as loud as they can."

"What do these voices say?" Ivy was timid now, processing my explanation.

"It's not nice." I hung my head in shame.

"It doesn't have to be nice, just be honest."

"They tell me to take you, that it's the only way." I clenched my jaw in anger, but expanded before she asked me the ridiculous question of what it meant. "I don't know what it means either, before you ask. If I knew, it might make it easier."

Ivy sat in silence, staring at me while obviously deep in thought.

"I have nobody to ask, Ivy," I continued, my voice shaking with emotion. "When you came home to pick me up, and I was in the attic, I was trying to research it in the demon literature. It's not like I can just call a demon and ask, this bracelet…" I trailed off, not wanting to blame the very thing that has kept Ivy here with me.

"Maybe it's the bracelet talking and only you can hear it because you're wearing it? Maybe it isn't a….demon thing?"

"I'd have to ask Trent how the bracelet works to decide if it's a bracelet thing. I don't know elfin magic."

"Did you find it hard to be around me before the bracelet?"

"I've been ignoring my feelings for far too long," I shocked myself at the admission, but she was right, she deserved honesty. "So yes I've found it difficult to be around you a long time, just for a different reason."

"Maybe you _should_ ask Trent," Ivy's voice was husky; I could tell my acknowledgment of my feelings had gotten to her. I watched as Ivy's tongue snaked out of her mouth and wet her bottom lip, a sign of nervousness. "If you want to understand and overcome it, maybe we should start there and rule out the bracelet if that isn't the cause."

"And if it is?"

"Then we work around how to coexist," Ivy was firm in her declaration. "If you take that bracelet off, there's no telling what could happen."

"I've learned to take care of myself." I felt rather indignant; I had always been able to take care of myself. "I'm more powerful than you give me credit for."

"Yes, yes you are." Ivy pulled a deep breath and I could have sworn I could see her shut down as she exhaled.

This was about more than the bracelet. The look that had settled on Ivy's face chilled me to the core. It was the same look she'd had on her face during her goodbye speech. This was about Ivy and me and, unless I wanted her to follow through on her goodbye from San Francisco, I needed to stop avoiding. Ivy returned her attention to the file and I felt the distance growing. I stared at her, a sense of panic creeping up as I struggled to face my fears head on. I needed to reach her before she was too far away to reach. I pulled a shaky deep breath of my own and moved toward her.

The voices assaulted me as I drew closer and I shook my head, determined to ignore them. I placed one hand gently on her wrist as I reached for the file in her hands, pulling it from her and placing it aside. I kept my hand on her, not just to stop the voices, but because I liked the contact. It made me feel connected to her. I squatted before her, trying to catching her gaze.

"I will ask Trent about the bracelet and I will find the answer to the voices. Because I want you, I need you in my life, Ivy."

"You can take care of yourself," she replied quietly, "you don't need me."

"You're right, I don't need you to take care of me. But that doesn't mean I don't need you. Turn it, Ivy, I'm tired of ignoring how I feel about you. I want you in my life. I love you. And I want you."

The look that crossed Ivy's face was priceless. Her eyes glistened slightly and her face held a sense of wonder, as if I had just given her a gift she always wanted but never expected to receive.

I leaned in and touched my lips to hers, delicately at first, but when her hand slid behind my neck, my lips became demanding and I pushed my tongue forward to enter her mouth.

The taste of Ivy's lips was utterly unique. My arms wrapped around her body as her free hand came to rest on my hip. She was tentative at first; unsure of the direction I was taking our interaction. It was lost on me that her reaction mirrored mine; I was even unsure what I was doing. But I knew it felt good, better than any physical interaction I had prior to this moment. Her hands roamed my back, lightly over my shirt in some areas and desperate in others. When she reached the small of my back, I moaned into her mouth, never knowing that was one of my erogenous zones.

"God this feels good," I whispered as her fingers suggestively played with the hem of my shirt.

"No voices?" I barely recognized Ivy's voice. It was pure silk, husky, octaves lower than anything I had heard before, making me desperate to hear it again.

I didn't trust my own voice, so when I pulled back and confronted her dark, black eyes I just shook my head, swallowing hard to gain some control over my need.

"I can't go back." Ivy's voice betrayed her, it was laced in fear and at that moment is when I realized I couldn't go back either. I stood up from the couch, holding my hand out to Ivy, signaling my acceptance of what I was sure was going to happen. Watching Ivy pant, her chest rising and falling quickly, aroused me more than anything I had ever known; making me desperate to know what would happen once she actually touched me.

Ivy's fingers, shaking slightly, reached out for my hand as I unnecessarily pulled her to her feet. Ivy didn't need me to help her stand; it was an excuse for us to touch. There was so much emotion in her eyes; I barely acknowledged they were completely engulfed in blackness.

"Mine or yours?"

Ivy blinked at my question, uncertain at its meaning.

"Your bedroom or mine?" I quickly clarified, frowning when Ivy didn't answer right away.

"Why now?"

"I'm tired of fighting it. I'm tired of denying it." Ivy blinked as if those words strung together were the last thing she would ever hear from me. I could understand her confusion, but right now that was the only thing keeping me from being with Ivy, and I was growing impatient.

I had to chuckle as Ivy stared at me as if I were possessed. I had to quickly have her, so my answer was to place all my hunger in a kiss. I pressed my lips to hers, teasing her mouth with my tongue until she surrendered and opened her lips. She moaned into my mouth and I swore on my life at that moment, I had never heard anything so amazing before.

"I don't want to stop." I pulled away panting, working my hands up her shirt and rubbing her six-pack abdominal muscles suggestively. "Mine or yours?"

I didn't flinch when she took my hand, leading me to her darkened room. She shut the door as I stood before the bed, blinking rapidly as if this was just one of my many dreams since San Francisco. They seemed to start like this, each and every time, so there was no telling if this was fantasy or reality.

"That's my bed," Ivy spoke from behind me, walking slowly toward me like a panther stalking its prey.

"I'm trying to determine if this is real or just another fucking dream."

I closed my eyes as she rubbed up against me from behind, allowing my weight to fall back onto her. Her arms came around to my abdomen, lightly playing with the hem of my shirt before tugging at it. I mindlessly lifted my arms, happy to oblige as she removed my shirt. Ivy dropped it to the ground, but my inferior witch senses didn't hear it, there was only the roar of my heart pounding in my ears.

I felt the response of Ivy's body to mine, her nipples pressed hard against my back as she held me in this pose for what seemed like an eternity. I leaned back as her tongue licked my neck, unafraid of her biting me, trusting her not to bind me. I held her hands at my waist, moving my hips provocatively and smiling when I heard her moan behind me.

Ivy turned me around, searching my eyes for approval to glance at my half-exposed body. I smiled, holding her palm to my cheek before moving it to my lips and barely kissing it. When Ivy looked down and saw my bare chest she smiled in the most seductive way. I reached up and tangled my hand in her hair, massaging her scalp, patiently waiting for Ivy's next move. I knew what I wanted, but she had far more experience than I did, and I felt the best way to learn would be to let her take the lead. It was a uncharacteristic move for Rachel Morgan.

Ivy slowly pushed me back toward the bed, and I complied, first sitting on the edge of the bed and then lying back, allowing my red hair fan around me. Ivy followed, lowering her head to my chest, just resting for a moment, before looking up at me with an awed look in her eyes.

"It's beating so fast," Ivy said as she watched the pulse point at the base of my neck pound in time with my heartbeat.

"I know," I said, "trust me I know."

"Are you scared?"

"A little." I actually felt my eyes widen at the level of honesty I was allowing between us. iI was certainly new. "But I trust you not to bite me. I trust you not to bind me. I trust that what I'm feeling has nothing to do with pheromones."

"You know I'm not releasing any?" Ivy sounded shocked as she held my hooded gaze.

"I know what I feel," I said carefully. "My scars aren't tingling and all the rest of my body is, which is different than when you've released pheromones in the past."

Ivy's exhale told me she had been holding her breath, waiting for an important admission on my part, wanting me to recognize that it wasn't the vampire causing the heat between us but the woman.

"My heart isn't the only thing beating fast." I chuckled as she smiled at me, thankful for the bit of humor in our conversation to break the sexual tension that just seemed so overwhelming. I laced my fingers through her silky hair once more, smiling as I heard her sexy chuckle fill up the room.

Reaching down I pulled at Ivy's shirt, indicating that I wanted it off sooner rather than later.

She straddled me as she removed her own shirt, discarding it quickly. I watched in awe as Ivy stretched her body over mine, resting her body on her elbows, staring down at me. I suddenly felt naked, not just because my breasts were exposed, but because her gaze penetrated mine so completely.

I had no idea what to do, so I went with my instinct. I raised my hands to her strong back, taking in how toned she was as she moved under my hands. Her muscles strained, her back was so smooth, I had never felt anything like it. I raked my fingernails over Ivy's skin, and smiled when her lips met mine and she moaned in pleasure.

My smugness was short lived as she bent her head, touching the very tip of her tongue to my hard nipple. I hardly could tell it was my voice that gasped when Ivy's front teeth held onto my nipple for a brief moment, letting it go only to take it into her mouth more fully.

I arched, my fingers digging into Ivy's back, as my eyes closed and my mouth gaped open. I pushed my head back into her pillows, her scent covering me so completely, as she began to suck my nipple to the brink of pain.

"Fuck, Ivy," I hissed, lost in the sensation of Ivy working my nipple in her mouth. She released it finally, only to grab it again with her teeth and flick her tongue quickly over the tip of it. It was enough to make me squirm. I barely recognized my own reaction because I had never had one like this. Other lovers had certainly touched my nipples, but it was so much more with Ivy, more than I could ever have imagined.

When Ivy switched to my other nipple and quickly bit down, I immediately began to move my hips desperate to come in contact with any part of Ivy that could provide friction to my clit. It was as if my nipple had a direct line to my clit, massaging one was certainly affecting the other. I was lost in the sensation of Ivy manipulating my breasts. It was as if she knew the perfect amount of pressure to apply, to warrant the responses she was obviously craving.

"Turn it, Ivy." My voice was so husky I barely recognized it. I grabbed onto her hair and forced her mouth away from my nipple, desperately wanting to ward off my climax before I truly got to enjoy Ivy.

I reached down Ivy's body, grasping for her ass to pull her more fully into me than she had allowed to this point. When my hands came in contact with denim, I moaned in protest shutting my eyes tightly.

"Off," I demanded, my urgency more than I had ever experienced before. I wanted Ivy now, there was no more waiting, and when I opened my eyes to see her staring at me she clearly understood what I needed.

Ivy sat up, slowly undoing the buttons of her jeans and lifting her hips to push them down. Once she did, she gracefully kicked them off her body not caring where they landed in her precisely organized room. When my palms cupped her bare rear-end, I moaned in appreciation.

"God you feel so good," I said as she smiled and removed her thong. Ivy was completely naked on top of me, and instead of the fear and nervousness I typically felt when I thought of this exact scenario, I felt passion and urgency. I felt my heart pounding and wetness pooling between my thighs at a rapid rate.

Ivy didn't answer with words, she answered with action and I was never so thankful for it. She unbuttoned my jeans and pushed them, with my underwear, down to the point where I could kick them off and leave them at the end of the bed. When her breasts touched mine and her tongue massaged my swollen bottom lip, I allowed my contented sigh to linger in the air between us.

"Do you have any idea how much I want you right now?" I shocked myself, and Ivy as well by the appearance of her eyes widening at my question. It was so unlike me, but now with Ivy lying on top of me and all my vulnerability shining through, I felt like kicking myself for ever having waited so long.

"I think I might," Ivy said grinding her hips into me as I spread my legs further to accommodate Ivy's lean body.

"I need you," I said as the throbbing between my thighs became almost painful. I moved my hips to try to get more contact with Ivy's body; she was elusive and continued to tease me, taking me right to the edge of climax. It was then that I felt it, felt Ivy roll off my body and prop her head up on her elbow to stare at me. "What in the hell are you doing?" I didn't even try to sound pleasant as fear overtook my arousal, fear that Ivy was rejecting me. Not that I didn't deserve it, but we had come so far and I had allowed myself to be completely vulnerable with her. If she rejected me now, I'd be gutted.

"It's ok, Rach." Ivy's voice was comforting and understanding. "I just want to see how you're doing."

"You can't tell?" I cringed when I heard my own voice reach an octave much higher than normal.

When I rolled on my side to face her, she allowed a single finger to trail over my body. She started at my neck, moving down my shoulder to my breast, and finally heading toward my stomach. When she finally touched my stomach, I twitched in response, feeling very sensitive and eager for the trail downward to continue.

I couldn't help myself in the current position, I was finally facing a naked Ivy in her bed and wasn't going to let this opportunity pass me up. I put my fingertip to Ivy's lips, gasping when she sucked my finger into her mouth to wet it. I pulled it out and let it journey to Ivy's hard nipple. I circled it with my finger, allowing the wetness to coat her skin. I repeated it once more, smiling as Ivy moaned in response.

I felt bold, and so I used the hand that was currently teasing Ivy's nipple to travel to her shoulder, pushing her down on the bed trying to gain some sort of leverage. She laughed in response, a sound that I realized at that moment I could never tire of.

I felt Ivy fighting for dominance, and I was doing an amazing job of worshipping her lips, until I felt her body move. Her leg rubbed between mine and I tore my mouth away from hers in an effort to breathe. She had made contact, if only slightly, where I needed her the most.

"Fuck, Ivy." My head fell to her shoulder as she regained control. She flipped us over once more, quickly moving down my sweaty body. Ivy sucked and nipped at every inch of my skin as she descended toward my now wide-open legs. I was so thankful when Ivy didn't linger too long. It was pure heaven when she settled between my legs and I raised my head off her pillows to look at her lingering there. Ivy wrapped her arms around my thighs and smiled at me with such love in her eyes it literally took my breath away.

I didn't have the strength to keep my head up; my body was on high alert and begging for Ivy's touch. Ivy closed her eyes and took a deep breath in, if I could smell how aroused I was she certainly could with her superior vampire senses.

"I've thought about this for so long," Ivy said as she licked the inside of one of my thighs. "You, like this, Rachel, so open for me."

My hand reached down, touching Ivy's fingers that held onto my thigh, digging into my skin trying to regain control. It wasn't that Ivy was trying to ignore her vampire instincts, it was that she was trying to control herself to pleasure me in the best way possible.

"You're so wet, Rachel," Ivy said as she looked between my legs. My clit was throbbing, the hair between my legs was damp from my own arousal. When Ivy touched my center for the first time my hips shot off the bed in response. She used her fingers to part my lips, blowing a stream of cool air directly on my clit.

"Jesus, Ivy." I raised my hips off the bed once more in desperation.

Ivy touched the tip of her tongue to my clit and I immediately moaned loudly. I grabbed onto her fingers roughly now, desperate for my release. When her tongue touched my clit once more, I cried out with pleasure. My entire body was shaking and I pushed my hips once more up toward Ivy in a silent plea for her to take care of me.

"Please," I begged. There was no pride, no fear, just love and desperation for my release. Ivy knew I was on the edge, and didn't seem surprised when she moved her hands to my hips to hold me there causing me to moan.

Ivy's tongue was magical. When she sucked on my clit, I couldn't hold still. My hips moved with determination, I was so close to my orgasm and although I didn't vocalize it, I knew Ivy knew it as well.

"Fuck, Ivy!"

She never let up, she was sucking my clit with purpose, relishing in the sounds my voice and body were making. My hips moved off the bed once more, despite her gently trying to hold me down. Her mouth was amazing, she sucked my clit hard and when I was about to come, she switched technique to hold off my orgasm as long as possible.

"Ivy," I panted, "I'm going to come…."

Hearing my words, Ivy dove in mercilessly as I grabbed at her hair to keep some kind of contact with the woman that I know for certain I am in love with.

"Oh Baby..I'm coming…I'm coming now…." I dragged out the last word as I felt my body shake uncontrollably. Ivy kept going, reading my body so well, and waiting for my second orgasm to rip through me. Once I stopped shaking, she used her tongue to lick up my arousal that had pooled between my legs. I opened my eyes, looking down at Ivy resting her cheek against my thigh as my vision started to become clear again.

"I just…" I smiled and began chuckling, watching her smile so warmly as if I have never seen that side of her before.

"I love you, Rachel." Ivy's voice was still full of arousal and I reached for her. I was glad when she made her way back up my body, stopping occasionally to kiss a particularly sensitive spot.

I kissed her lips, shocked at how I tasted on her lips. I smiled and she used her thumb to trace one of my eyebrows and wipe my perspiration away. She frowned as tears began to pool in my eyes, and I blinked rapidly to try to hold them back.

"I never knew I wasn't complete until this moment." My voice betrayed me as I struggled to keep it from shaking.

"Yeah?" Ivy's voice was muffled as she nuzzled into my neck peacefully. I drew random patterns on her back with my fingers, loving the feel of her skin. Her breath began to change slightly, as if the tension in her muscles had just seeped out of her body. "You better not be falling asleep?"

Ivy chuckled, pressing her weight down on my body more fully.

"Are you going to keep me awake, Rache?"

"I sure as hell am going to try." I rolled her over, desperate for more.

The dark settled in and the worries of the outside were forgotten as I began my journey to learn Ivy's body. It was no wonder neither of us heard the creaking of the steps up to the back door to the church. Branches snapped, all unheard by us, and even when the visitor opened her phone and quietly spoke, we still didn't hear it.

"I need to step this up," Skimmer said quietly. "Obviously you've heard what happens when you fail me. You end up with your throat slit, floating in the river." She sneered as she made her way back to the front of the church, carefully opening her car door. "Rachel Morgan better be dead by the end of the week or you will be."


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note: Hello everyone, I know it's been a LONG time. I dabbled in Rizzoli and Isles fiction for that time, but now after the latest Harrison book I am re-energized to pick this back up. Thank you so much for the support; I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

Chapter 10

Despite the fact that Ivy's drapery was designed to hinder sunlight from disturbing her sleep, the sun broke through enough to wake me. We hadn't bothered to ensure that the blinds were secured; our minds were obviously on more important things when we entered the room late last night. If I were honest, the warmth of the sun shining in my face was enjoyable. The sun always signaled a new beginning for me; it was a way I could tell I was still alive when I was in the hospital as a child dying of Rosewood Syndrome. If I could see the sun from the small window in my hospital room, I was granted another day to try to recover.

_A new day, a new beginning…._

I couldn't help the smile that crossed my face as I pressed my body into the woman lying in bed behind me, her hand draped across my naked hip to rest there possessively. At my movement, she tucked tighter to me, a contented sigh escaping her sleeping form. I knew inherently that Ivy would fulfill the duty of the 'big spoon' in our relationship. But the touch of her skin on my naked hip was enough for me to forget the balance of power we had to achieve, I was just happy to be held.

_Turn it, I'm whipped and Jenks will tease me to my death for it._

The heat from the sun became almost unbearable; I began to think back to the days in the hospital and the fact that I wasn't supposed to survive. Rosewood Syndrome is exactly what made me what I was today, stuck somewhere between a witch and a demon… dangerous and feared by both.

My muscles ached; my body had healed from the attack, the parts of my body that ached were more intimate ones. They were the ones that had lain dormant for too long as I tried to figure out my relationship with Ivy. Nobody else seemed to do; the realization that I had never felt so at peace waking up in someone else's bed hit me and I smiled as I turned my head to see her lying beside me.

Everything still felt like a dream, like one of the dreams that I had in the comfort of my own bed that made me wetter than any other person's touch. I had somehow known it would be amazing with Ivy; if I wanted to be honest with myself I should just admit that was part of what scared me, along with the possibility of being bound to someone else. The way she touched my body, the way her mouth touched me in all the right places, was actually better than any dream I had ever had about her. I hated that I had waited so long, what the hell was I thinking?

Ivy shifted behind me, sleeping so soundly with a smile on her face that I hated to wake her up. I just never was one for staying in bed all day; it reminded me too much of my sick childhood and without Ivy conscious to occupy my time, I needed to busy myself. My hand drifted to Ivy's wrist, my fingertips stroking gently over the back of her hand before lifting it from my hip. A small disapproving moan escaped her lips and her arm tightened over me, her fingertips spreading across my skin. I closed my eyes at the sensation, knowing that if her hand drifted any lower I would be undone and unlikely to leave her bed anytime soon. But we couldn't spend the day in bed; there were things that needed to be done.

"Ivy," I whispered trying to not fully wake her but needing to move her strong hand to allow my escape to the kitchen. "I am going to move your hand so I can get up."

It amazed me that the only part of her body that was preventing me from moving was her hand, yet I was completely at her mercy with her superior vampire strength. I grunted as I slid her hand to the side and then grimaced in pain as I heard the rumblings in my head.

"_Take her! It's the only way!"_

"No!" Ivy shot up in bed when I screamed, her eyes full of panic and confusion. "The voices…."

Ivy placed her hand on my shoulder, quieting the roar to a low hum inside my head and body.

"I can't do this." I wiped off beads of sweat that had formed in seconds, concerned that my body was so tense for those few seconds that it caused me to perspire. What is it about her that caused my body to go into convulsions and my head to scream with unrecognizable voices?

"Can't do what?" Ivy's voice betrayed her; she instantly thought I meant us. Despite the pain I heard in her voice, she kept her hand touching me, concerned only with easing my discomfort. This was not a morning after apology sort of day. This was the beginning of something between us, nothing that I would regret. I knew I had to explain further, and quickly, before each wall that had come down the previous night was instantly resurrected and fortified.

"I can't have these voices screaming in my head. We have to find a way to manage them, to get rid of them. I can't have them screaming every single time we're near each other but not touching because it's going to happen a lot." I punctuated my point by running my palm down Ivy's cheek and brushing my lips against hers softly. "I think I should talk to Trent today about the bracelet and see if the voices are tied to it somehow." The look of pain had left Ivy's face, now replaced by a look of concern.

"I don't know, Rache, I got the impression he didn't know much about it either. You weren't awake when he put it on you; Bis said he was scared. I can understand why he did it, but without your consent….that's just as twisted as Piscary."

"It's Elven magic, he did it to save my life. He's the only one I know of that I can ask. Obviously I can't go to Al since he thinks I'm dead."

"And I'm not suggesting that you do," Ivy said quickly. "I just wouldn't give up on researching it rather than trust our dear friend Trent…." I smiled at the way sarcasm dripped from the words 'dear friend' through Ivy's clenched teeth.

"Researching it won't tell me why it's tied to you. It has something to do with you specifically, and no book is ever going to offer that explanation."

"But it could tell you why you hear voices, tying it to me would be a lot easier then. You'd know if the voices are about someone you're close to…"

_Someone I love…._

The words were left unsaid between us; she wasn't ready to hear them and I wasn't ready to say them. I could blame it on the timing and subject matter at hand but the truth is that I was scared to death of hearing the words uttered aloud and once again throwing the playing field into a new twist.

"I'm concerned with why they're tied to you," I admitted quietly. "It can decipher between you and everyone else. I've asked Bis a million times about what happened when he found me and dragged me to Trent. But none of it is tied to you."

I felt Ivy's strong hands on my shoulders, kneading the abused muscles in an effort to help me relax.

"The first time that I went into the Ever After I was lost, and I thought of you to navigate the lines and get back home. So there is an obvious tie between us…" I couldn't help but snicker like an adolescent when Ivy blushed at the statement. After all, we had made love most of the night and were lying in her bed, in her room, naked as the day we were born.

"I'd say so." Ivy's voice was an octave lower, her pupils beginning to overtake the warm brown color of her natural eyes.

"Don't you dare." I swatted her hand away as it had drifted from my shoulder to begin a journey toward my chest. "Despite wanting to do nothing but be with you, I can't ignore the voices. Something isn't right, Ivy, and I need to understand what's going on."

"I must be rubbing off on you if you're actually going to be proactive and research it."

I smiled; it was so rare for me to see this side of Ivy. She was open, happy, her smile made me ache for her all over again. I silently wondered if I would ever get used to seeing this side of her, if I would ever get used to wanting her and my body's reaction to that fact.

"I really took what you said to heart," I said, my tone indicating how serious I was about finding a solution to the voices. "Winging it got us here and almost allowed me to lose you, I don't want that."

Ivy remained silent, mostly because I think she was shocked by my admission. I leaned back in and gave her a quick kiss on the lips before bounding out of bed.

"I'll make breakfast." I knew that the best time to reach Trent was early in the morning, it was time that he had learned to dedicate to my godchild Lucy and, despite not wanting to interrupt that, I needed to call him. I slowly opened Ivy's door, peering out to make sure I wasn't about to give a pixie an eyeful, before dashing across the hallway and into my own bedroom. My cell was charged, having been plugged in all night long, and I scrolled through my contacts finding Trent's personal number. I bit my lower lip as I contemplated what top to pair with my jeans, there was no sense in dressing up to impress Trent.

"Rachel," Trent's voice as he answered sounded guarded, but in all fairness we were exploring new territory by being nice to one another. It was pleasant to actually have a somewhat amicable relationship with him. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Can't someone just call bright and early to wish someone else a pleasant day?" I practically gagged on the sweetness of my own words and so did Trent by the scoff I heard on the other end. "Maybe I just want to know how my god-daughter is doing."

"Please tell me you don't actually buy the load of crap you're trying to sell me."

The pause was only a few seconds, but it seemed like an eternity while I mulled over how to phrase my question in such a way as to not offend him, yet get the answers I needed. I wasn't prepared to divulge my relationship with Ivy to him; it wasn't that I was hiding it, but rather I wanted to revel in it without opinions and illusions before I made an announcement.

"I'm serious; I was hoping to stop by and see her today."

"I told you that you were more than welcome anytime. I'm sure Ceri would love some company."

Trent was being coy; he knew that I wanted to talk to him but was going to make me ask for it. Why is it that even asking him a simple question was like shoving needles under my nails? Turn it, I thought we could work past this given he saved my life after I saved his and threw his demon back into the Ever After.

"I'd like to actually talk to you."

"Do we have some unfinished business I don't know about?" Trent's voice was confrontational and it made me want to scream.

"It's not business, it's personal," I mumbled as my eyes darted to Ivy's bedroom door. The truth was that despite hating to lean on Trent for answers and maybe help depending on what those answers were, Ivy was too important to me for me not to humble myself and get the answers we needed. "It's about the bracelet."

"I'll see you shortly then." Trent ended the conversation abruptly; I knew he was looking forward to my visit; he had told me several times that he wanted the bracelet off and for me to explore everything I could be. He had been fearful of me when I took on Ku Sox, but even though we now had reached a truce, I worried that he wanted to manipulate me more than help me.

I quickly threw on an older pair of jeans and a t-shirt; I didn't want to think of why they were lying on my floor next to my bed, let alone how long they had been there. That would indicate just how long it had been since I took the time to clean my room. It came in handy when I needed to grab something quick, but the knowledge of knowing your clothes were clean sometimes outweighed the convenience and I made a mental note to pick my room up when I returned from Trent's house.

I wasn't surprised to see Ivy in the kitchen, beginning to make breakfast, complete with her own special brand of cookies. We had actually never been in the cramped prep space together since moving into the church. When I was spelling, she would be at her computer or lounging in the living room. When she was drinking orange juice to control her instincts, I was smart enough to stand on the other side of the kitchen and allow her some space. But now that we had been together, it would be common practice to share space and steal loving glances and touches wasn't it?

_God, I'm a child that doesn't know how to act the morning after she's been thoroughly fucked. Maybe I should have been in better relationships that I didn't have to run from?_

I walked beside her as she reached for the carton of eggs in the refrigerator, but as I stepped closer to lay my hand on her back the voices brought me to my knees.

"_Take her! If you don't take her she'll die!"_

I barely registered my knees hitting the slate of the kitchen floor. My hands instantly pressed into my head; I had all but forgotten the voices the moment I walked into the kitchen to find her looking sated and sexy as hell. I needed to stop them and thankfully Ivy had the sense to put her hands on me to quiet them down.

"Oh god." I felt more nauseous than when I was dying of Rosewood Syndrome.

Ivy carefully helped me to my feet; her touch was so tender it brought tears to my eyes. She sat me on the bar stool and reached with her other hand to give me the carton of orange juice, mindful to keep touching me to keep the voices at bay.

"I'm going to see Trent today," I whispered as I felt the tension rise in the air. "He's expecting me and knows it's about the bracelet."

"I'll come with you." Ivy waived off my request for a glass since she would have to remove her hand resting on my shoulder, allowing the voices to return. She lifted the carton to my lips and smiled as I took a small sip.

"He's not going to talk to me when you're there."

"And asking that man for anything is a bad idea…" Ivy growled as her pupils began to dilate. "Take it from someone who's been manipulated and twisted all her life; that's what he wants to do with you!"

"He could have let my aura burn me from the inside out," I countered, disappointed that this was not my pristine vision of the 'morning after' with Ivy Tamwood. "If I thought there was another way I'd take it. I've been through every demon book I have and there's nothing to help me!"

Ivy quickly backed away, giving me plenty of room to not hear voices, but it left me lonely and cold. I wrapped my arms around myself carefully before forcing my gaze to meet her eyes. I knew this wasn't going to be easy; a witch and a vampire sharing a bed that didn't include one being bound to the other, but the enormity of it was never more evident than it was at this moment. My appetite was gone; I needed to leave to see Trent if I wanted to move forward with Ivy and, Turn it, I did.

I stood without words, what really could I say? We were tempted; we gave into it and enjoyed it more than life itself. But the morning after brought about the reality of our lives, we couldn't share any 'morning after' intimacy given that we couldn't even be in the same room without the voices making my head try to explode.

I made quick work at showering and making myself presentable. It was a strange combination of relief and sadness to walk out of my room and see that Ivy had disappeared from the kitchen. The sound of water gave away her location as she hurried to get ready. I had a heavy heart, I felt tired and desperate in my quest for answers. I quickly left her a note that I would be back as I slipped my cell phone into my back pocket. The ride to Trent's house was not long enough for me to pull it together; whether I liked it or not Trent was about to see me at my weakest and needing help, but it was for Ivy and I and I'd be damned if he wasn't going to help me.


End file.
